The Patel Foundation
The Patel Foundation honors the Marines of 1st Battalion 23rd Marine Regiment that died in service of their country during The War on Terrorism. These Marines constantly exhibited an inclusive and servant leadership style to all those around them. The Patel Foundation stands beside our men and women of the Marine Corps providing resources and support to all Marines, past and present.
Our flagship program the Cpl Kolda Scholarship is awarded to Marines that exemplify the servant leadership and spirit of both Cpl. Zak Kolda and Sgt. Sagar Patel.
It is through Cpl Kolda’s & Sgt Patels spirit of inclusivity and servant leadership that we serve Marines and those that support Marines through our various programming.
The story behind The Patel Foundation ⟶
Conversations with Marines from the 1/23…
The Patel Foundation sat down with several Reservist and Active Reservist and asked the following questions:
How would your life have been impacted by receiving a scholarship for college?
Do you have student loans?
“ I would have stayed in school, been more consistent and actually finished. The financial hardship looming overhead would have been gone and it would have been more manageable to balance military, school, and work. I worked a full time job and still had to take out student loans. I enrolled in 2018 have since moved to the Active Reserve- Enlisted side in order to take advantage of tuition assistance. I still have 90 credits remaining to complete my degree. Had the financial hardship been lessened I would have submitted an Officer package rather than move to the Active Reserves Enlisted side. My life would be drastically different. ”
— Cpl. Thomas
“ I started college in 2013 right out of high school so I could go Officer in the Marine Corps. I actually did my senior project in high school on joining the military. I was working a full time job in Mississippi when I started college. In 2015 I enlisted in the Unites States Marine Corps as a Reservist. Its now 2021 and I have over $13,000 in student loans, not yet finished with my degree, and I have since flipped onto the Active Reserves side to take benefit of the tuition assistance not available to regular reservist. Now that I am full-time in the Marine Corps I have the financial stability plus tuition assistance and I am back on track to finishing my degree so I can submit an officer package.”
— Sgt. Pacheco
“Build a connection and save a life…”
C Pacheco | Co-Founder of TPF
