About the Foundation
The Patrick Worrell Memorial Foundation is a Texas non-profit corporation established in 2021 to assist and support refugee and immigrant students and their families in need. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) exempt private foundation as defined in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Students attending the International Newcomer Academy (INA) and Success High School in Fort Worth, Texas, may receive resources such as school supplies, clothes, furniture, food, educational grants, and emergency medical and housing relief from the foundation.
Patrick Worrell
Patrick Worrell was born in Denton, Texas, in 1989 and grew up in Fort Worth. He graduated from All Saints’ Episcopal School in 2008. Patrick was a world traveler who lived fully and brought joy to those he knew. His life focus changed in 2016, following time he spent in Nepal serving as a volunteer working with orphans. It was then that he knew he wanted to be a teacher. Following his untimely death in 2018, his parents, Shannon and Trace Worrell, worked with others to established the Patrick Worrell Memorial Fund. They wish to honor Patrick’s memory and make the world a better place for those in need.
Mission of the Foundation
The mission of the Patrick Worrell Memorial Foundation is to help refugee and immigrant students. The Foundation assists students and their families as they begin to build their new lives in Fort Worth. This assistance includes school supplies, funds for extracurricular activities, clothes, food, furniture, and emergency medical or housing relief.
The Foundation focuses its support on students attending the International Newcomer Academy (INA) and Success High School. Both schools have highly qualified staff members who work with newcomers to foster English language development, develop content knowledge in core areas, and orient students to American culture and Texas public schools.
INA provides services to middle school students and 9th graders. Students attend INA for one year prior to transitioning into general education classes at their neighborhood schools. Success High School serves students aged 16-21 and offers newcomers support as they transition from high school to college or the work force.
Newcomers arrive from countries from across the globe and speak little or no English. They often arrive with a single suitcase and have very few personal possessions. Success High School students often work more than 35 hours per week to help support their families.