Caitlyn A. is the daughter of United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jimmy A. Caitlyn describes her father as loving, funny, and hardworking, and she shares that some of her favorite memories with her father were when they watched Disney movies together growing up. In 2004, Staff Sergeant A. passed away in a non-combat vehicle accident while serving overseas in Iraq. Caitlyn believes that her father would be most proud of her continuing her college education even after becoming a teen mother.
Fallen Patriots is honored to have supported Caitlyn as she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Arizona College of Nursing. Caitlyn currently works as a nurse on her hospital’s COVID-19 floor as well as works part-time at a local infusion clinic that specializes in IV medication administration for the treatment of chronic diseases. In the future, she hopes to become a trauma ICU nurse and then become a nurse practitioner.
In college, Caitlyn was part of the honor society and graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors. She also serves as part of the State of Nevada Medical Corps, which is an organization where nurses and other volunteers donate their time during emergency situations or community safety simulations.
After receiving a scholarship from Fallen Patriots, Caitlyn shares, “Receiving a scholarship from Fallen Patriots has impacted my life in so many ways. I never felt like I was alone, I knew I had support from financial assistance to counseling. Fallen Patriots also gave me the opportunity to focus on school than figuring out finances, and because of that I was able to graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors.”
There are approximately 25,000 military children who have lost an active-duty parent in the military over the last 35 years. The vision of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation is to ensure that every such child receives all necessary college funding.