As the son of immigrants from two Caribbean islands, my parents emphasized the importance of education at a very young age. Starting off in kindergarten, I hated the public school I was assigned to attend. I’d cry most days on the school bus coming home from school. When I was tested to enter the gifted program in kindergarten, I was denied despite passing the test for entry, without much of an explanation. It felt unfair. That year I finished all the kindergarten coursework early and ended up teaching first graders under my teacher’s direction just to stay busy. Seeing that the public-school environment wasn’t serving me, my parents decided to send me to a private school.
As a family that depended on disability payments when my mom had breast cancer, and on food stamps, Medicaid, clothing closets, and food pantries for much of my life, my path through private school wouldn’t have been possible without school choice. We weren’t poor by choice, but because that was the hand that we were dealt. There was a point where my family and I were eating potatoes every day in different forms because that’s what was affordable. A private school education didn’t seem even remotely attainable, until my parents learned about the Arete Scholars Foundation. Through Arete, I was able to receive the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship to pay for my education.
I attended private schools from first through twelfth grade, even getting to attend a private boarding school for all of my high school careers. The schools were far from home. We’d often wake up at 5 or 6 a.m. to get ready, drive an hour to school, and return after sunset, because that’s what worked for my parents’ schedule. But the long hours away from home were worth it. In private school, I was finally in an environment that challenged me and actually saw my potential. We stayed at friends’ houses after school to make it work and built a strong community of people who believed in me and my brother.
Now I’m attending Oakwood University, pursuing a BA in public policy. I’m on track for law school and a career in public service. Having a choice in my education provided me and my family with the opportunity to thrive and not just survive. No child’s future should be decided by their zip code or their family’s income. Every kid deserves the chance to find an environment where they can become who they’re supposed to be.
