Scholar Highlight: Ian Mason

Children of Fallen Patriots scholar Brandon W. is the son of U.S. Army Private First Class Lori P., who was killed in action in 2003. Brandon’s mother was the first indigenous woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military and the first woman in the U.S. military killed in the Iraq War. When asked how others would describe his mother, Brandon says, “I’ve been told that my mother was a caring person who always helped out in anyway she could. She also was very athletic, competitive, and always stood up for others.”

With the help of Children of Fallen Patriots, Brandon graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology. Brandon plans on furthering his education by attending graduate school to become an Occupational Therapist.

When asked about how Fallen Patriots is impacting him during his time in college, Brandonsays,“Fallen Patriots have been part of my college education since day one. They supported me through the hardest times of being a broke college student. As a first-generation student, I had no clue in the slightest about what it took to save money, register for courses early, or even have time management. Fallen Patriots have helped me tremendously going through all the life lessons and did their best to help me financially.”

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.