The First SEALKID
outside of her own immediate family, who were invested in her success. “It made me feel not as alone,” Megan said, “and more a part of the SEAL Community.” Megan is now an educator in her community, teaching special education for 2nd through 5th graders. She uses her personal experience with a learning disability to help other students overcome their learning barriers. “The resources that SEALKIDS provided helped me better understand the challenges that I had been dealing with for a long time. That experience has helped me recognize how I can help the students I teach who are facing similar challenges.” Megan, like many children in the Naval Special Warfare community, needed a little help to achieve her full academic potential. SEALKIDS was there to offer it.
Megan Foster was the first student SEALKIDS served. Megan, the daughter of an active duty Navy SEAL, found herself struggling in school. Though she was earning decent grades in class, Megan was having trouble focusing on her work. She struggled to pay attention and had difficulty staying organized. Teachers and other adults in her life felt she was not performing to her full abilities. Megan felt frustrated when her best efforts did not live up to expectations. SEALKIDS stepped in to help. Megan was connected to SEALKIDS through the Founder, Suzanne Vogel. Suzanne, whose own children had struggled with learning disabilities, recognized the challenge Megan was facing. Suzanne suggested to Megan’s father to send Megan for an evaluation to determine if she might have an undiagnosed learning challenge. Megan underwent a psychological evaluation that measured intelligence and attentiveness. The tests determined that Megan’s challenges were due to undiagnosed ADHD. SEALKIDS funded the cost of the testing as the organization’s first grant. As a senior in high school, this news came as a huge relief for Megan. She could now understand and explain the root cause of her struggles. Megan explained the impact of this intervention, “SEALKIDS gave me the tools I needed to identify why I was struggling and also showed me my strengths so that I could build from them.” She also felt relieved to know that there were individuals within the Naval Special Warfare community, 22
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“It’s been really great to see how much SEALKIDS has grown since I received their help. The one to one relationships that they have built with kids nationwide are amazing and I am so proud to have been the first SEALKID.” How SEALKIDS Started Alexandra and Hunter Vogel, two of Suzanne’s five children, were only six and nine years old in the summer of 2011. They wanted to honor the courage and sacrifice they witnessed every day in the Navy SEAL community. Alexandra and Hunter decided to focus on a cause near to their hearts, educational assistance and tutoring for children in the Navy SEAL community who were struggling in school. They combined their piggy banks and started SEALKIDS with determined spirits and just under $200. They stood in grocery store parking lots for hours, raising money and telling people about their desire to honor and serve. What began as a small fundraising effort by Hunter and Alexandra became a national nonprofit organization with the help of their mother. Suzanne, who now acts as SEALKIDS’ Program Director, worked to formalize her children’s efforts. SEALKIDS was incorporated in 2012 and granted 501(c)(3) status in 2013. SEALKIDS has grown exponentially since its founding, and Suzanne has been heavily involved throughout the organization’s history. Bringing her own personal experience as a mother of five children in the NSW community, Suzanne is a steadfast steward of the organization’s mission and a champion of SEALKIDS’ organizational values of honor, commitment, courage, excellence, and empathy.
