When James Straw graduated from high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and accomplished his lifelong goal to become a sniper. But Straw’s military career was sidelined after receiving a diagnosis for an autoimmune disease, setting him on a new path:
Now he is the latest Marshall Scholar from the University of Montana, considered among the most prestigious scholarships for U.S. citizens.
Through values of leadership, excellence and commitment to service, Straw found success during his time as a Marine. Those same principles have translated to the classroom for Straw, who is an integrative physiology major and biochemistry minor at UM.
“It turns out my autoimmune disease ended up being a really good thing in my life,” Straw said. “I definitely wouldn’t be here at UM if it weren’t for it, but I think this is a better opportunity for me. One opportunity here has led to the next, and it just keeps going, and it ended up being good enough to earn the Marshall Scholarship.”
The Marshall Scholarship is a highly competitive, merit-based program that provides funding for graduate study in the United Kingdom, given to only about 40 American students a year Straw, who is originally from Colorado, is UM’s 5th Marshall Scholar to date. The scholarship was created by the Parliament of the U.K. in 1953 in recognition of Secretary of State George C. Marshall.
“Mr. Straw came to UM in search of another way to serve,” said UM President Seth Bodnar. “An extraordinary student and researcher with an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others through medicine and collaborative science, James Straw not only embodies the purpose of the Marshall Scholar program but has an ethos for service reflective of the scholarship’s namesake.”
After five years of service as a Marine, Straw set his sights on joining the U.S. Army Special Forces. In an effort to improve his resume before re-enlisting, Straw enrolled at Missoula College to earn an associate’s degree in paramedicine.
During his first semester, he began experiencing severe inflammation and pain, eventually loosing vision in one eye. Straw, who prioritizes his physical health and enjoys recreating outdoors, suddenly struggled to walk. He eventually was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune disease that causes severe pain and inflammation.
“What am I going to do?” Straw recalls asking himself. “That really shifted things for me. I thought that maybe I shouldn’t sit in an ambulance and try to pick people up. I should probably shift to a less physically demanding career.”
Through Missoula College’s health care programs, Straw’s professors taught him how to learn and make studying more enjoyable, skills he continues to apply to his undergraduate studies on UM’s main campus. Faculty members there encouraged Straw to pursue research.
He first tried his hand at research related to integrative physiology, and while he liked it, it didn’t ignite a spark within him. Eventually, a lecture on genetics in medicine inspired him to pursue clinical research. So Straw started applying for research internship opportunities over the summer, eventually leading him to conduct clinical cancer research at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
There, Straw was connected with Roundup River Ranch, a summer camp in Colorado for children with medical illnesses and other health complexities. He worked as a cabin counselor at the camp for a week the last two summers. This past summer, Straw returned to Colorado to work as a clinical research intern at the Musculoskeletal Research Center, where he assisted in data collection, worked with patients and helped translate the study’s findings into research manuscripts.
“I’ve always found that you only regret the opportunities you don’t take,” Straw said. “These opportunities just sounded too good to pass up.”
Before attending UM, Straw had never heard of the Marshall Scholarship or other prestigious scholarships like it.
“I’m just this kid from a small town in Colorado who grew up on a farm and joined the Marines,” Straw said. “I never would have applied for this scholarship if it weren’t for the University’s support.”
After graduating from UM this spring, Straw will pursue his graduate degrees in the U.K for two years. He plans to attend the University of Edinburgh, studying Human Complex Trait Genetics and Genomics and Experimental Medicine. Once he’s completed graduate school, Straw intends to enroll in medical school as an M.D.-Ph.D. student focused on autoimmune conditions or pediatric cancer.
“James’ experience as a leader in the military, his academic achievements on and off campus and his commitment to serving others through medicine truly embodies what the Marshall Scholarship seeks in their awardees,” said Kylla Benes, director of UM’s office of external scholarships and fellowships.
“James found his new path at UM,” Benes said, “and his award exemplifies our institution’s core strengths and values: that any student who attends UM can unlock their full potential with uncommon access to support, mentorship and opportunity.”
Growing up in Colorado, Straw’s family took in more than 40 foster children and adopted four of them. His parents’ selflessness inspired him to do good and informed his empathy and leadership, Straw said.
“I feel like leadership was just kind of ingrained in the way I grew up, because I want to set a good example for my siblings,” Straw said. “But it also feels good to make my parents proud and go beyond what they set me up for. They set me up to believe I could do anything, and they really supported every dream I’ve had. They made me believe in myself, and that’s been such a driving factor in my entire life.”
By Skylar Rispens, UM News Service