![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/haleigh-erramouspe.jpg\")
<\/p>\n Army veteran Robert Mason found a second calling at Texas Tech, and now he\u2019s created
\n the Veterans Helping Veterans Scholarship to pay it forward.<\/p>\n
\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was no surprise to Robert Mason\u2019s family when he joined the military.<\/p>\n
In fact, it was practically a genetic trait.<\/p>\n
Mason\u2019s father and brother both served in the U.S. Coast Guard, and his nephew is
\n at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. His paternal great-grandfather served in the Missouri
\n National Guard and fought against Pancho Villa in 1916-17.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His grandfather on his father\u2019s side was on the USS Pennsylvania while it was drydocked
\n in Pearl Harbor during Japan\u2019s attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Meanwhile, his maternal grandfather
\n abandoned a life as a \u201ccornhusker\u201d in Nebraska to enlist in the military during the
\n Great Depression and served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can date our military history all the way back to England, where my great, great,
\n great, whatever grandfather fought against the King of England in the English Civil
\n War,\u201d Mason said. \u201cThen we have members in our family that have served in every major
\n conflict that (the U.S.) has had since it was a colony.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mason\u2019s moment of rebelliousness was joining the U.S. Army rather than the Coast Guard,
\n as his father had done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At 18, he graduated from Ball High School in Galveston, Texas. Soon after, he arrived
\n at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he began preparing for his first day of flight school.<\/p>\n
For nearly two decades afterward, Mason would find himself rising through the ranks
\n and serving at various locations across the country and around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was stationed at Fort Hood and Fort Bliss in Texas and at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
\n He also served in the Ohio and Texas National Guards. Internationally, Mason was deployed
\n to Iraq five times, once to Jordan and once to Turkey.<\/p>\n
![\"Mason,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BACK-OF-998.JPG\")
![\"Mason](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/090223-A-0870H-315-.jpg\")
(Left) Mason, sitting front left, and his flight crew for the day in 2007 in Balad,
\n Iraq.
\n (Right) Mason flying over Baghdad, Iraq, in 2009.<\/p>\n
Traveling and moving frequently to new locations was nothing new to the self-described
\n military brat who attended more than 10 different schools from kindergarten to his
\n senior year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI served for 23 years total,\u201d Mason said, pointing his finger with a quirk in his
\n lip that lifted his big handlebar mustache on one side. \u201cWell, unless you count growing
\n up that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
He retired in 2010 as Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mason and began working as a defense
\n contractor for the Army, performing aircraft maintenance and serving as a test pilot.
\n However, shortly after, he began thinking about going back to school to broaden his
\n career opportunities.<\/p>\n
The decision was twofold. First, his daughter was turning 5, and he wanted her to
\n understand the importance of education. Additionally, there was a round of layoffs,
\n and he was confronted with the fact that his skill set was somewhat limited.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized I couldn\u2019t do anything besides fly,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n
Finding His Roots<\/p>\n
The first decision he had to make was what he wanted to study.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reminisced about his family\u2019s roots, \u201ccorn husking\u201d in Nebraska, and recalled how
\n his father had such a green thumb, seeming able to grow any plant except cacti.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always killed those,\u201d Mason said, chuckling.<\/p>\n
While stationed at Fort Rucker, he had married the daughter of a farmer. When his
\n father-in-law had injured his back, Mason began helping on the farm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Early on, he understood how the tractors operated and why they were irrigating the
\n fields. Still, for the life of him, he couldn\u2019t figure out why they were using chicken
\n manure composted with peanut hulls as fertilizer.<\/p>\n
This was the first of his many questions about farming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His family history and this experience sparked a curiosity for plant and soil science,
\n and now was his chance to explore that interest and find answers to his questions.<\/p>\n
Next, he had to choose where to pursue his degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although he was living in Alabama at the time, he had spent a significant part of
\n his childhood in Texas, as well as the time he was stationed there, so Texas colleges
\n caught his attention from the start.<\/p>\n
To sort through the best fit for him, he knew he needed a university with a trusted \u201cTexas Tech is one of the schools that was one of the first to grab onto (online learning) Faculty and Staff Helping Students<\/p>\n Mason enrolled in the Department of Plant & Soil Science<\/a> and began working toward his Online Bachelor of Science in Plant & Soil Science<\/a> with a minor in biology. This fully online, asynchronous program allows students This was ideal for Mason, who needed to continue his defense contract work while balancing Mason, who is still living in Alabama, said his education at Texas Tech opened his Choosing to enroll in Texas Tech\u2019s online program<\/a> ignited Mason\u2019s passion and opened new opportunities. After graduating from Texas Although he still works for the Army as a defense contractor, Mason now provides plant In addition to his consulting work, Mason also works as a lecturer in the Department While pursuing his master\u2019s degree at the university, he was required to take an introduction \u201cI went up to the professor and said, \u2018Dude, we got to do something about your course, Mason has now been with the department for nearly four years, teaching graduate-level While Mason may now be the one behind the lectern, this new path started behind his \u201cYou have to remember that it\u2019s all the same classes; it\u2019s all the same requirements. \u201cI can say that Texas Tech, when they talk about how student-friendly they are, they\u2019re Mason said this commitment to go above and beyond to ensure he had what he needed \u201cI\u2019ve gone to probably 11 or 12 schools total over 23 years of being military, and Veterans Helping Veterans<\/p>\n Mason is now embarking on a mission to ensure that more veterans have the same opportunity During his final year at Texas Tech, Mason had reached the 36-month limit for using They worked with Mason to find scholarships that would waive his out-of-state tuition This gesture, along with the other times Texas Tech faculty and staff went beyond With his own experiences in mind, he knew he wanted to create a scholarship in Davis The Texas Hazelwood Act is a State of Texas benefit that provides qualified veterans, \u201cContrary to popular belief, the GI Bill does not cover everything,\u201d Mason said resignedly. Mason donated<\/a> $10,000 in July 2022 to establish the Veterans Helping Veterans Scholarship<\/a>. The scholarship was expanded beyond its original purpose so that if there are no He has since added $15,000 to the fund, making it a $25,000 endowed scholarship<\/a> and opening the opportunity for two scholarship recipients each year.<\/p>\n The fall 2025 semester marked the third round of recipients for the Veterans Helping A Natural Fit<\/p>\n Awtrey was born and raised in Lubbock, and said that as a kid, he was fascinated by So, when the counselor at Frenship High School pulled him into his office with bad He graduated in May and began his service July 14, 1980.<\/p>\n \u201cI love to tell people that I applied for Texas Tech in 1980 and got accepted in 2020,\u201d Like Mason, Awtrey had a roundabout path to the plant and soil science industry.<\/p>\n Awtrey served 24 years in the Air Force, retiring as a master sergeant Feb. 1, 2004. This continued until September 2018, when he found out he had cancer and was forced Because of this diagnosis, he was no longer qualified to work as an international During his first visit with his oncologist, amid the many papers and instructions \u201cI thought, \u2018OK, well, that\u2019s weird,\u2019\u201d Awtrey said with a scoff. \u201cBut then I got them, Taking care of the plants in his room became a crucial part of Awtrey\u2019s healing process, \u201cIt was emotional therapy for me while I was going through cancer treatment,\u201d he continued. This is what inspired Awtrey to enroll at Texas Tech and start studying plant and While he was still in treatment when he started his undergraduate program, things Not only has he been able to pursue his new passion and connection to plants, but \u201cWell, being a 60-year-old man hanging out with 20-somethings is very entertaining,\u201d These positive relationships extend to the department\u2019s faculty as well.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody on the faculty side is interested in student success,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I While his experience at Texas Tech has been second to none, unfortunately, at this Fortunately, there are veterans willing and ready to help other veterans, and Mason, \u201cIt\u2019s exciting because I feel like Chief Mason knows the struggle of being in the \u201cI was deeply honored to receive the scholarship because I\u2019d like to see more veterans Mason couldn\u2019t be more excited to hear this from a scholarship recipient. In fact, Mason has continued to contribute to the scholarship since it was established two \u201cI want to grow this scholarship,\u201d Mason said vehemently. \u201cI don\u2019t want this just \u201cEverybody who\u2019s associated with this is a veteran, and I want them to help each other.
\n online program, and Texas Tech University<\/a>\u2019s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources<\/a> easily rose to the top.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and realize that this was a boon for the students, especially those of us who are
\n elsewhere,\u201d Mason said. \u201cThey made a great program available.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n to complete their degree while not disrupting their work and personal obligations.<\/p>\n
\n his commitments as a single father.<\/p>\n
\n eyes to issues in the field he hadn\u2019t considered before, such as water scarcity and
\n drought in Texas and the Southwest, which are often overlooked in the Southeast.<\/p>\n
\n Tech in 2016, he went on to earn a graduate certificate from Texas A&M University
\n and a master\u2019s degree from the University of Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and soil science consulting in Alabama, helping farmers and homeowners choose the
\n best fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and other supplements for their crops, lawns
\n and more. His advice is based not only on the type of plant or soil but also on their
\n surroundings.<\/p>\n
\n of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Florida. His path to the
\n classroom was unconventional, though not surprising to those who know his wit and
\n candor.<\/p>\n
\n to soils class that had him pulling out his hair by the end of the course.<\/p>\n
\n man,\u2019\u201d Mason said. \u201cHe responded, \u2018OK, smartass, you do it.\u2019 So, he hired me to do
\n it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n online distance education courses. He instructs Soils for Environmental Professionals
\n and Environmental Soil and Water Monitoring Techniques and occasionally helps with
\n Hydric Soils.<\/p>\n
\n laptop, connected to professors, advisors and staff at Texas Tech\u2014people who he said
\n made all the difference in his undergraduate experience.<\/p>\n
\n We just don\u2019t have all the help,\u201d Mason said. \u201cWe have to do a lot of the learning
\n on our own in addition to what we have in our own lives. But I had the benefit of
\n having Dr. Cynthia McKinney as my advisor, and Diann Merriman, and all the other people
\n who were great about helping with anything I needed.<\/p>\n
\n 100% correct on that. They have bent over backward. Staff have bent over backward.
\n Professors that I have had at Texas Tech, even though it was online, I\u2019ve met them
\n a couple of times, and five years later, I come back, and they still remember me.
\n That\u2019s one of the endearing things about Texas Tech.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n to be successful is what sets Texas Tech apart from other institutions he has attended.
\n Whether it was a quick text to confirm he was enrolled in the right classes or an
\n hour-long phone call to help him through a soil chemistry course, they were there
\n for him.<\/p>\n
\n I would say that Texas Tech is probably the best when it came to actually sitting
\n down and talking,\u201d Mason said confidently. \u201cYou have that feeling that even as a distance
\n student, you\u2019re part of the school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n to earn a degree in Davis College, just as he did.<\/p>\n
\n the GI Bill benefits. In typical Texas Tech fashion, the faculty and staff in Davis
\n College stepped up to the plate to help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and help him complete his final year of undergraduate studies. At Texas Tech, an out-of-state
\n student who receives cumulative, competitive academic scholarships of at least $1,000
\n per year qualifies for in-state tuition rates.<\/p>\n
\n the call of duty, stuck with Mason. So, when he reached a point where he had the financial
\n ability to give back, Texas Tech was top of mind.<\/p>\n
\n College\u2019s Department of Plant & Soil Science that would support veterans, especially
\n those who no longer receive GI Bill or Texas Hazelwood Act funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n spouses and dependent children with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition
\n exemption, including most fees, at public institutions of higher education in Texas.
\n This does not include living expenses, books or supply fees.<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t cover life. So, I thought, \u2018It\u2019s going to be a small scholarship, but
\n I can help somebody with it.\u2019 I started the Veterans Helping Veterans Scholarship
\n with the hope that we could grow it over time and help more vets.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n veterans or verified dependents of a U.S. service member enrolled in the Department
\n of Plant & Soil Science, then all students in Davis College who are veterans or verified
\n dependents of U.S. service members are eligible.<\/p>\n![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/pigroast-55-Mason-daughter-.jpg\")
Mason and his daughter attended the 2025 Davis College Pig Roast, a celebratory event
\n honoring scholarship donors and recipients.<\/p>\n
\n Veterans Scholarship, one of whom is James Awtrey.<\/p>\n
\n the Northrop T-38 Talons and Cessna T-37 Tweets he saw flying over the flatland cotton
\n fields.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n news\u2014no grants, no scholarships, but military service could cover his education\u2014the
\n U.S. Air Force was a natural fit.<\/p>\n
\n Awtrey laughed.<\/p>\n
\n He then spent the next 13 years working intermittently in the cell phone industry
\n while in Fort Worth with his wife and two young children. However, his primary career
\n focus remained on international government contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\n to relocate to Lubbock for treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n government contractor. However, it was because of this diagnosis that he would discover
\n a new passion and livelihood.<\/p>\n
\n he received, he came across one that was unexpected\u2014a list of 20 plants. He was told
\n to always keep at least 10 of the plants on the list in his sick room.<\/p>\n
\n and I started caring for them. I was learning how your emotions change by physically
\n caring for the plants\u2014fitting your fingers into the dirt, helping the plants grow,
\n something to care for day to day, water and fertilize.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n especially for his mental health.<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt gets your mind off of the constant worry about, \u2018Am I going to die? Is the treatment
\n that I\u2019m going through going to take away the cancer, or is it just going to slow
\n the cancer? What will my family do if I pass and all these other things? It just gets
\n your mind completely off of that. And now it\u2019s you and the plant right in front of
\n you, and that\u2019s all it is. And there\u2019s that connection there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n soil science in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n are now looking up. He is in remission, has earned his bachelor\u2019s degree, and is pursuing
\n a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n
\n he has also been fortunate, like Mason, to build connections with people at Texas
\n Tech.<\/p>\n
\n Awtrey said. \u201cI love it a lot because they\u2019re teaching me new things like what questions
\n to ask AI, and I\u2019m able to teach them things like don\u2019t give up when it gets hard.
\n That\u2019s when you\u2019re really going to accomplish something. So, it\u2019s a great relationship
\n with the students.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n wasn\u2019t expecting that. I was expecting people to be more interested in their field
\n of study than the people they\u2019re trying to teach today, and that just simply isn\u2019t
\n the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n stage of his educational journey, Awtrey faces a trifecta of financial challenges:
\n master\u2019s degree programs usually provide less scholarship support than bachelor\u2019s
\n programs; he has exhausted his GI Bill benefits; and his research area, turfgrass,
\n has limited funding.<\/p>\n
\n whom Awtrey calls \u201cChief,\u201d has risen to the occasion to help those who need it.<\/p>\n
\n military,\u201d Awtrey said. \u201cOf not having time to go to school when you\u2019re finally out
\n of the military and now trying to figure out how to catch up on all that you couldn\u2019t
\n do while you were on active duty. Chief gets that.<\/p>\n
\n end up in Davis College. His scholarship and personal commitment set the example for
\n me and the other veterans in Davis College programs. My wife and I are now looking
\n at ways to follow his example when I graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n this was his exact goal when he started this scholarship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and a half years ago and has made a significant planned gift<\/a> to the scholarship in his will. But he doesn\u2019t want to wait\u2014he wants to see the fund
\n grow now. He wants more veterans helping veterans, and he\u2019s inviting others to join
\n him.<\/p>\n
\n to be something that somebody creates and it\u2019s stagnant. My name\u2019s not on there because
\n we\u2019re all veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n I want us to help each other. So, if somebody else wants to donate that\u2019s a veteran,
\n let them put it in there. Let\u2019s raise the amount that\u2019s in there. Let\u2019s help more
\n vets.\u201d<\/p>\n