A Fayetteville college student recently received a portion of the Charlotte Hornets’ $100,000 scholarship donation to the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.
Nahsir Knight-Bell, 21, was 10 years old when he lost his father, 1st Sgt. Russell Bell, in 2012.
1st Sgt. Bell, who was part of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was killed by a roadside bomb in Zharay, Afghanistan on 2 August 2012 at the age of 37.
Nahsir transferred from Fayetteville Technical Community College to Methodist University for his junior year, where he earned an associate degree in business. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Methodist.
He recently lost his mother, Shannon Knight, to illness in October. He said it was her encouragement that led Nahsir to pursue higher education.
“From a young age, my mother always stressed the importance of education,” Nahsir said last week.
In a press release about the scholarship from Methodist University, he said, “I will do what I have to do to stay in school, get good grades and stay out of trouble.”
In addition to the scholarship, Nahsir and five other recipients were treated to a night at the Spectrum Center earlier this month to watch the Hornets take on the Washington Wizards. They sat courtside, received customised gear and met the Hornets players.
According to the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, nearly 20,000 families have lost a loved one in the line of duty over the past 35 years.
“It is an honour to work with community partners and leaders like the Charlotte Hornets who understand the needs of our military families and the importance of education,” said Children of Fallen Patriots co-founder and CEO David Kim in a Hornets press release. “Without them, we couldn’t do what we do – send thousands of proud scholars to schools across the country.”
The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation is a national non-profit organization that provides scholarships and educational opportunities to the children of service members who have died in the line of duty. Each of this year’s six scholarship recipients will receive more than $16,000.
