Over a decade ago, Alanna S. and her mother, Audrey, received devastating news. Alanna’s father, PV2 Algernon A., was killed on October 28, 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, while serving in the Army National Guard. At the time Alanna was a young girl facing the reality of having to put the pieces together after losing a parent, while most children at this age couldn’t imagine such a loss.
Scholarship Allows Daughter of Fallen Soldier to Attend Dream School
The mother and daughter duo carried on knowing the best way for Alanna to honor the service of her father was to pursue a college education. She attended a magnet school for academically talented, motivated, and college-bound students.
In 2008, five years after losing her father, Alanna was accepted to her first-choice college, Howard University in Washington D.C. Howard University is a research-intensive and culturally diverse, historically black, private university.
Alanna’s mother worried about how she would pay for the private school tuition plus room and board, which can reach over $40,000 a year to make her daughter's dreams come true. Sixty percent of surviving spouses make less than $50,000 per year & more than half of these spouses have trouble making ends meet for their families.
“I just said to myself, how am I going to pull this off?”
Algernon A. fought for freedom, so that his family could have a safe and secure future, but lost his life serving our country. Fortunately, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation stepped in and offered to make Alanna’s dream a reality. With the help of Fallen Patriots, Alanna received funding for tuition, fees, books and living expenses. Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation provides college scholarships and educational counseling to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Alanna is now an alumnus of Howard University with a bachelor's degree in health sciences and has continued on to pursue a master's degree.
To get involved and to learn more about Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, visit www.fallenpatriots.org. If you are eligible for a college scholarship, we encourage you to take time to enroll now! You can enroll on our website at www.fallenpatriots.org/enroll, or call us at 1-866-917-CFPF to enroll with one of our staff members over the phone.