Abigail W. is the daughter of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Frank W.. Due to a training accident, Abigail’s father passed away when she was five years old. Those who knew LCDR W. remember him as a friendly, smart, and humble man. Abigail shares, “I’ve heard countless stories about how my dad would start conversations with strangers and then become great friends within minutes.”
One of Abigail’s favorite memories with her father was learning how to read, “After he got off work and my sister and I were in bed, he would come read to us every night. Eventually, my sister and I were the ones reading to him.”
As a Fallen Patriots scholar, Abigail studies Accounting at the University of North Georgia. She chose to study accounting after the challenges that faced her mother after her father’s passing. “I don’t have a ton of memories of him and of the years after he passed away, but what I do remember is the stress that my mom felt. My dad handled the finances for my family and when he died, my mom didn’t know what to do. I decided that I didn’t want to feel that way when I grew up, so I majored in accounting. I ended up absolutely loving it and I hope that I can help women like my mom when I begin my career.” In addition to her classes, Abigail is also involved in her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and serves as Vice President of Finance.
Over the summer, we had the privilege of working with Abigail as she interned with Fallen Patriots. For her, Fallen Patriots provides more than financial stability as she pursues her educational goals. “Fallen Patriots has given me peace of mind and financial stability through the scholarships I have received. Not having to worry about how to make ends meet during the school year has allowed me to focus so much more on school than on money,” Abigail explains. “Fallen Patriots cares about their scholars in more than just a financial capacity. Throughout my internship I have seen so many staff members communicate with scholars about their lives and struggles during these crazy times. [Fallen Patriots] really treats their employees and students like family.”
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.
