Grateful Nation program featured on 'NBC Nightly News'

A nonprofit organization that offers full college scholarships and outreach services to children of Montana soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan was recently featured in a “Making a Difference” segment on “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.”

David Bell, an insurance executive and 1996 UM graduate, and John McCarrick, a New York attorney, founded Grateful Nation in 2007 as a way to give back to fallen soldiers and their families. Their pilot program was created in Montana with the goal of eventual implementation in all 50 states.

The NBC news segment featured interviews with widows of Montana soldiers recently killed, as well as a teenage recipient of a Grateful Nation scholarship who already is enrolled in the program.

The program, which can be used to attend any school in the Montana University System, is administered at UM by Teresa Branch, vice president for Student Affairs. Program funds are managed by the UM Foundation.

Grateful Nation fosters a connection between universities and the surviving families of America’s fallen heroes. Members of the university community tutor and counsel enrolled students, preparing them both academically and emotionally and giving them the resources, support and academic assistance they need to meet the challenges of a successful college experience.

Grateful Nation now is conducting a fundraising campaign to underwrite current and future scholarships. The news segment and a full description of Grateful Nation Montana’s mission and activities can be found on the organization’s Web site at http://www.gratefulnationmontana.com.