Jalen W. is the son of U.S. Marine Corps First Sergeant Meca W., who passed away in 2013. Jalen is a senior at Shenandoah University where he is studying Kinesiology with a concentration in physical education with a minor in coaching.
When asked why he chose to study Kinesiology and what his future career plans are, Jalen says, “I love working with kids and love working with athletes. Hopefully in the future I will have the opportunity to do both. I plan to go into physical education and become a teacher for high schoolers. I also plan on becoming a coach for either soccer, football, or basketball.”
Jalen believes that his father would be proud of him attending college. “I think my dad would be proud of the fact I am chasing my dreams and reaching every milestone I need to hit. He had the never give up attitude and just like him I can't give up reaching my dreams.”
There are approximately 25,000 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.