TESTIMONIAL LETTERS
These Sentinels of Freedom testimonials offer a firsthand look at the impact of our mission. Each letter is written by a veteran who has experienced the challenges of transitioning to civilian life—and found strength, support, and success through the Sentinels of Freedom program. Their words speak volumes about the value of mentorship, education, and community in helping post-9/11 veterans thrive.
Dear Sentinels of Freedom, I would like to take this opportunity to write your organization a letter of gratitude and appreciation for the assistance I received during my degree program. Just before I started my graduate program at California State University Los Angeles, I lost my job due to company cutbacks. I was workings as […]
The two years of graduate studies were incredibly challenging; I cannot imagine attending graduate school if I had to endure, on top of the mentally demanding course work of the degree plan, the financial challenges many have to face while pursuing an advanced degree. Samantha’s ongoing support and prompt response were without a doubt most […]
Sentinels of Freedom Graduation Grant Reflection I want to first say thank you to all that assisted and helped me with the encouragement and the kind words. When I entered the program I had just given birth to my daughter on June 27th of 2016, you offered the commitment of assisting me in my housing […]
One the hardest things about the Sentinels of Freedom is trying to find the proper word to describe the impact they have had on my life. So please bear with me while I attempt to do my best and to truly show how important they were to my journey and success. When I got out […]
When my wife and I made the decision to attend law school we knew that it was going to be a long journey and it would not be easy. We were both going to be in school full time, raising two kids, and unable to work due to our schedules. But we decided that pursuing […]
SOF helped me through my final semester at UNC School of the Arts. I was maintaining a mortgage in Shelby, NC while paying rent two hours away in Winston-Salem. Travel and living expenses were piling up and making it more and more difficult to stay afloat, financially. The housing stipend that SOF afforded me each […]
Dear Sentinels Program Administrators and Sponsors, I am extremely blessed and grateful that I gained the support of SOF during my educational journey. The subsidy payments allowed my educational progress to be uninterrupted by a 40-hour workweek and really let me excel in my studies. I graduated with a 3.97 cumulate GPA for my degree […]
Dear Staff and Supporters of Sentinels of Freedom, As I have recently completed my Ph.D. as a Sentinel Scholar, I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all of your support throughout my academic journey. Your support has directly influenced my personal success at the University of San Diego but has also […]
I will say it is hard to leave the military. There is so much known about career progression and an understanding of what is expected of you. There is a group of like-minded men and women that work to achieve the goals of the Department of Defense. We are all kind of on the same […]
SOF Organization, I would like to begin by saying “Thank you” for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization, you all have been amazing. The support you all have given not only me but as well as my family is a blessing. Of course, the financial subsidy of this […]
Salutations Sentinels of Freedom Staff and Donors, On this occasion of my graduation from the University of Texas at El Paso, I would like to express my gratitude for the gracious support you have given me for the past two years while pursuing my education goals. On May 18th, 2019 I walked across the stage […]
Mr. Mike Conklin and Sentinels of Freedom, Thank you for your radical support. It gave me the confidence to get my own apartment and make plans for grad school. Sam and Havilah were very supportive. I could call or email them anytime. For every question I had, they were quick to reassure me and help […]
I applied for assistance through the Sentinels of Freedom after my first semester of law school at LSU, at which point I was on the verge of giving up my dream of continued education. The financial burden of raising a family and attending school, in addition to the academic stress of the legal program, was […]
First, I would like to thank all of the staff and board members of SOF for all of their hard work and their willingness to help all of the veterans. I know all of you probably wish there was more that you can do, but I just wanted to let you know that everything you […]
Sentinels of Freedom Staff, When I began my journey in what I initially believed would be an easy task to complete a Bachelor’s degree, I was excited and motivated. I was pursuing a degree in Horticulture with an emphasis on landscape design. At first, everything went as planned, but the amount of manual labor that […]
Dear SOF, What an amazing journey it has been academically, physically, and spiritually since we began to work with one another in 2017. I have, “grown-up” in so many ways and have done this with your continued support and love. SOF has been more than just a monthly stipend, in fact, it has become a […]
I, Daniel Shankle, am writing this letter to describe my time with the Sentinels of Freedom (SOF). From start to finish, I was very impressed with the entire process. The application process went smoothly, and I thought everything involved with it was appropriate for what the program was offering. The web portal was not difficult […]
Dear Samantha Chapman and members of SOF, I want to express my deepest gratitude for giving me the opportunity to be part of this great organization. The sentinels of freedom program provided me with the financial stability I needed in my greatest time of need. The program director Samantha Chapman provide me with excellent feedback […]
SOF program has been assisting me since the day I arrived back in the United States after suffering injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Mike Conklin was at my bedside and told me SOF would be here to support me whenever I was ready. I never planned on reaching out until several years later; I decided to […]
Dear Sentinels of Freedom (SOF) Staff and Team, I want to take this opportunity to really thank you for everything you have done for my education and for assisting in developing Prime and my startup companies, the Underwater Torpedo League and Deep End Fitness. Without your financial assistance, we would not have had the personal […]
My time with Sentinels of Freedom has been extremely beneficial as well as giving me peace of mind. While I have been in school, I have had a number of events that had a great impact on my life giving me the opportunity to shift focus on myself and what I need to do for […]
