Our Smaller. Smarter. tag line is more than just a saying — it’s a connection that keeps our RAMily bonded together. It’s the kind of impact that lasts even after graduation, and what led alumnus Heath Scott ’11, Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, to come back to Texas Wesleyan and present President Slabach with an American flag and miliary patches.  
 
Scott was deployed with his troops to Kuwait as a part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Although based in Kuwait, he took multiple rotations in Iraq to help fight against attacks on the U.S. and coalition bases that continue today. 
 
It was in Iraq that Scott experienced something that changed his outlook on life. An “incoming alarm” went off, meaning his base was under attack. As he grabbed his body armor and weapon to head to the bunker, he thought of all the things he wanted to do once he returned home.  
 
“This wasn’t my first time to head to a bunker, nor was it my last, but there was something different that night,” Scott said. “I really just zeroed in on things I wanted to do when I got back. Having moments like this in life really helps you put things into perspective.”  
 
On his list, he included reuniting with the people and places he hadn’t been in contact with for a while — and as a graduate and former Student Government Association president, Texas Wesleyan quickly became one of the places he wanted to reconnect with. 
 
Scott wanted to honor the University in the best way he knew how — presenting President Slabach with an American flag he flew over his base in Kuwait, along with two of the patches off his uniform — the subdued American flag and his unit patch, the 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade (also called the Soldier Sleeve Insignia – Military Operations in Hostile Conditions).  
 
“Soldiers simply call it your 'combat patch.’ That’s the patch you wear of the unit that you deployed with into hostile conditions. Those patches mean a lot to me,” Scott said.  
 
He credits his time at Texas Wesleyan to some of his military knowledge. As an undergraduate, he became involved in the Model Arab League where he was first introduced to the Middle Eastern Government and learned skills he would later be able to use while deployed. 
 
“It's hard to put into words the impact Texas Wesleyan has had on my life,” Scott said. “From the people I met to the experiences I've had, Texas Wesleyan has always been important.”