Fellowships

These fellowships provide a service opportunity to wounded Veterans who still have the desire to serve their country but whose disabilities prevent them from continuing to serve in the military. The average Fellowship covers 14 weeks, during which the Fellow volunteers full-time at a local charitable organization or community project. Each fellow is awarded a monetary grant to enable the Fellow to offset the cost of living expenses while he or she volunteers.

Current Fellows

Shawn Billiot

Shawn was awarded a part-time Mission Continues Fellowship to continue his service by working with military members under the care of Navy Safe Harbor at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center. Shawn will be serving in a peer mentoring capacity for convalescing marines and sailors there. Shawn suffered PTSD and TBI as a result of his deployment in support of OIF, where he served as a sergeant in the USMC.

Click Here to read more about Shawn and his Fellowship

Amanda Heindenreiter

Amanda Heidenreiter

Amanda was awarded a part-time Mission Continues Fellowship to continue her service by working with the Paws for Purple Hearts program. Amanda will be serving in a menotring capacity for new wounded warriors in transition, particularly those affected by PTSD and/or TBI. Amanda served as a captain in the U.S. Army and deployed in support of OIF.

Click Here to read more about Amanda and her Fellowship

Steve Baskis

Steve Baskis was awarded a full-time Mission Continues Fellowship to continue his service by establishing a Team River Runner chapter in Chicago, Il. By establishing a chapter of Team River Runner, Steve will provide the opportunity for other disabled veterans to gain confidence and the chance to inspire others. While deployed in support of OIF, Steve was injured when his convoy was struck by a roadside bomb causing permanent blindness.

Click Here to read more about Steve and his Fellowship

Former Fellows

Brandon Garrison

Brandon Garrison was awarded a full-time Mission Continues Fellowship to continue his service as a ground-breaking Fellow in the San Antonio area. Brandon will work to unite veterans in his community while working with others to establish several Mission Continues programs. Brandon was formerly enlisted in the US Army where he sustained injuries from a fall while deployed to Afghanistan.

Click Here to read more about Brandon and his Fellowship

Michael Paul

Michael Paul was awarded a full-time Mission Continues Fellowship to continue service at the Paralyzed Veterans of America office in Los Angeles, CA. He will be serving as a mentor and source of encouragement to wounded and disabled veterans. Michael is a former Army Airborne Ranger who suffered a spinal chord injury following a parachuting accident.

Click Here to read more about Michael and his Fellowship

Ash Woolson

Ash Woolson is using The Mission Continues Fellowship to work on the veteran's projects currently in progress and incorporating these projects in Columbus, Ohio where he will move in September.

Click here to read more about Ash and his Fellowship.

Eric Parry

Eric Parry was awarded a Mission Continues Fellowship to volunteer with the Metropolitan Police Boys & Girls Club in Baltimore, Maryland. He will also serve as a mentor to the youths in the Washington, DC area. Eric served in the Army on active duty, and was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. During his deployment,Eric received knee and joint injuries and has since suffered from PTSD.

Click Here to read more about Eric Parry and his Fellowship

David Pickens

David Pickens was awarded a Travis Manion Memorial Fellowship through the Mission Continues to serve as a mentor and head coach of a non-profit semi-pro football team called the Baltimore Broncos. David is a Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom veteran who suffered a back injury during a driving mission over rough terrain.

Click here for more information about David Pickens and his Fellowship.

Perry Green

As a Mission Continues Fellow, Perry worked with the Veteran Affairs Hospital and the Red Cross in Augusta, Georgia. Perry's fellowship was made possible through the sponsorship of the Travis Manion Foundation. Perry was deployed to Iraq twice while serving with the Army National Guard. He was medically discharged due to chronic back pain and was later diagonsed with degenerative disc disease.

Click Here to read more on Perry's Fellowship

Dionisios Nicholas

Dionisios Nicholas, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He graduated from Cleveland High School in Reseda, CA in 1980. In 1983, he received a degree from Los Angeles Valley College before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. While in the Marine Corps, Dionisios earned an undergraduate degree from Campbell University (NC) in 1991 and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Troy State University in 1996. Dionisios' Marine Corps career began at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, and after training he was assigned as the legal services specialist military occupational school. Over his career, he volunteered for many overseas assignments, including time in Okinawa, Japan, and Korea.

Click Here for more information on Dionisios Nicholas and his Fellowship.

Mathew Trotter

Matthew Trotter

Mathew Trotter served for eight years as an Aviation Technician in the United States Navy, deploying multiple times during the Global War on Terror. He suffered a serious injury while serving in the line of duty, and has undergone six reconstructive surgeries. As the Travis Manion Mission Continues Fellow, Mathew is working with the Triple H Equitherapy Center in Pipe Creek, Texas. His primary goal is to build an equine therapy program to assist other wounded veterans with their recovery. One of the country's largest military medical facilities for amputees, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), is located in nearby San Antonio. Mathew is creating programs that will not only address the therapy needs of these veterans, but also train them to serve as mentors for troubled youth engaged in service programs at Triple H.