Berean Christian Junior Academy, Atlanta

Twelve-year-old Rachel Shaw is a confident, involved and accomplished 7th grader who thrives academically and socially at Atlanta's Berean Christian Junior Academy. According to her mother, Marilyn, she bears little resemblance to the shy 5th grader who, as a public school student, was bullied to the point that a teacher recommended a change of environments.

"She said middle school was going to be hard for Rachel," said Mrs. Shaw. "But we didn't have money to change schools."

The second-year Arete Scholar recently shared her success story with a crowd of 2,200 school choice supporters at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. Discover how a tax credit scholarship has helped reshape the future for Rachel and her family.

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"My name is Rachel Shaw, and I'm a 7th grader at Berean Christian Junior Academy. Prior to attending BCJA, I was a student in the public school system. However, as my 5th grade year started coming to an end, I realized that I did not want to transition to the local public middle school because I would have to deal with some of the same students who were unkind and would sometimes bully me."

"Unfortunately, my parents didn't think they could afford to send me to a private school at that time. You see, at that time my mom was undergoing treatment for breast cancer and was not working. And my dad was taking care of my mom, myself and my sister, as well as my mom's childcare business. All of which meant a drastic cut in income for our family."

"Just when I began to think the situation was hopeless, my parents were introduced to the Arete scholarship. Thanks to the Arete scholarship, my sister and I were both afforded the opportunity to attend a Christian private school. My mom said when she dropped us off on the first day of school it was the first time in our entire school lives she was able to say goodbye without having a knot in her stomach. For the first time, she didn't worry about whether we would have mean teachers or class bullies."

"I have made lots of new friends at BCJA, and my dad says he is so happy that I have evolved from a shy little girl that attended public school to the person I am today. But what I love most about Berean Christian Junior Academy is that teachers, students and staff are so much nicer. And teachers treat everyone the same without showing any favoritism."

"I also love the fact that some of the choices that we no longer had in the public school, like band, orchestra and choir, are available to me at BCJA. I play the cello in the school orchestra and also sing in the choir. Someday I may be able to use my cello and vocal training to become a professional classical musician."

"On behalf of all the families that have been given the opportunity to choose a private school through the Arete scholarship, I'd like to say thank you to Arete Scholars Fund."

Click to watch the video of Rachel's address:

http://youtu.be/aVhWyMFpav0?t=24m23s

For Andrea Freeman, the picturesque 700-acre campus of Georgia Southern University is less than four hours from home, but a world away from the West Atlanta community where she grew up. Last August, the Arete Scholar and graduate of Bright Futures Academy left Atlanta for the next stop in her educational journey. She received a celebratory sendoff - along with a collection of college gifts - from a group of employees from Arete partner Balfour Beatty Construction.

Andrea could hardly have imagined the move when she was one of 550 ninth graders attending a local school in an area known more for rampant drug use, prostitution and homelessness than for opportunity. That was before she enrolled in Bright Futures Academy.

"Without Bright Futures, who knows where I would be today," said Ms. Freeman. "I could've easily been caught up in the fighting and social drama of that school. Instead I ended up at a place that was more like family."

Bright Futures Academy grew out of a year-round after-school/summer program that serves inner-city, at-risk youth. Started in 2002 by former suburbanites, Philip and Gail Ross, Bright Futures provides middle and high school children with the spiritual, educational, and relational support that will help them become productive members of society and role models to their peers. In 2011, 16 of the academy's 21 students attended on an Arete scholarship.

After visiting the school and witnessing its impact on underprivileged children, Balfour Beatty Construction expanded its involvement at Bright Futures beyond the tax credit partnership with Arete.

“Bright Futures equips children like Andrea to break the cycle of poverty through instilling a passion for education and setting goals,” said Al Petrangeli, President - Georgia Division for Balfour Beatty Construction. "That's something we're privileged to be a part of."

Now thriving socially and academically as a business major, Andrea Freeman is just one of many successes demonstrating the power of collaboration between Arete Scholars Fund, excellent schools, and our dedicated partners.

To learn more about Bright Futures Academy, visit them online at www.bfatl.org.

"I love attending Trinity because it's not just a school, it's also a family," said Katelynn Deeb, a rising 11th grader at Trinity Classical School in Clarkesville. "I love the small classes and one-on-one time with teachers. Trinity has been a life-changing experience for me."

Katelynn isn't alone in her love for Trinity. She and two of her younger siblings, Kimberlin, 15, and Jacob, 10, have all recently completed their second year as Arete Scholars at the North Georgia school. The result is three children who are "happier, well adjusted, and learning well in all of their classes," according to their grandmother and guardian, Bonnie Branch.

Mrs. Branch, who has raised the children for the past nine years, first heard about Arete Scholars Fund from church friends before the 2010-11 school year. That's when her husband, Larry, contacted school administrators at Trinity, who on that same day had first learned about the scholarship program. The children were then struggling in school surroundings that Mrs. Branch described as "hard-nosed" and unsafe.

"We live off of social security and disability, and never had other school options," said Mrs. Branch, whose husband passed away on the first day of the 2011-12 school year. "Without a scholarship, these children would not have been able to attend Trinity Classical School."

The siblings have benefited from the challenges of their new school and have also enjoyed the extracurricular activities, particularly the sports program at Trinity.

"Trinity has given me an awesome chance to meet new friends," said Kimberlin Deeb. "I have a better opportunity to learn since there are fewer students, and I had an opportunity to play volleyball for the first time."

Jacob, a rising 5th grader agrees."I think Trinity is challenging, but doing hard work is better than getting passed on for doing nothing," he said.

Mrs. Branch is grateful for the educational opportunity given to her grandchildren. "This is a much safer environment for my children," she said. "Thank you to Arete and the donors. Please continue your work so that other families like ours can have the same chance."

To learn more about Trinity Classical School, visit them online at http://trinityclassical.org/.

For the Knox family of Marietta, heartbreak and tragedy have come in abundance in the last year. Long stretches of unemployment, a debilitating on-the-job injury, and the loss of parents have made the year especially difficult for LeKeate and Clarence Knox and their two daughters. Yet, in the midst of difficulty, Arete Scholars Alexus, 13, and Trinity, 7, are finding opportunities to thrive in a loving and supportive school family at Trinity Chapel Academy in Powder Springs.

Mrs. Knox first learned about Arete Scholars Fund from her daughters’ previous school, Atlanta Classical Christian Academy (ACCA) in Smyrna. The Knox family was already receiving a partial scholarship from another student scholarship organization when LeKeate Knox lost her job leading up to the 2011-12 school year.

"We were in jeopardy of having to pull our kids out," said Mrs. Knox. "It was just by chance that the school matched us up with Arete. I don't know how we could have possibly afforded it without Arete."

What the tuition tax credit scholarships have afforded the Knox family is an educational environment that meets the girls individual learning styles while aligning with the family's own spiritual and social values. The scholarships have also offered another significant benefit: choice.

"We love the fact that the Arete scholarship follows the child," Mrs. Knox said. "ACCA was a great fit while we were there, but when we found a setting that better matched our situation, we were able to make the switch without interruption to the girls' education."

Now finishing up the school year at Trinity Chapel, Alexus is excelling in the 7th grade, having received all A's and one B on her last report card, and is "loving the full middle school experience," according to her mom. Meanwhile, Trinity is flourishing in the 1st grade as an all A student.

"It makes my heart glad to see how much our girls love and appreciate their school," said Mrs. Knox. "They are more engaged than ever and are learning more every day. We know the girls are receiving the education they need to succeed."

And what has the opportunity meant to the Knox family during this particularly difficult period?

"This is one less stress on our family," Mrs. Knox said. "The Arete donors need to know that. If it weren't for them, Alexus and Trinity wouldn't have this opportunity."

"Thank you for your generosity. Your money is being put to great use."

For more information about Trinity Chapel Academy, visit the school online at www.trinitychapelacademy.com.

Spend a moment with 5-year-old Sauyer Stewart and you may not experience the unexpected. Sauyer - like a lot of her pre-kindergarten classmates at Peoples Baptist Academy in McDonough - is energetic, full of wonder, and loves her days learning and playing at the Henry County school. What's not so apparent is how wonderful a journey the first-year Arete Scholar and her mom, Rhonda, have traveled to get to this point in their lives.

Born at 27 weeks, or 13 weeks premature, Sauyer weighed just 2 pound, 7 ounces at birth. A severe case of a digestive condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD) meant that Sauyer had to be tube-fed for the first year of her life.

"Nothing could go into her tummy," said Rhonda Stewart. "All nutrients had to be routed directly into her intestines. Anything in her stomach would come up and choke her...we had two life-threatening episodes in that first year."

The challenges of raising a premature infant meant that Ms. Stewart had to leave her corporate job and become a full-time mom and caregiver. Despite receiving some of the nation's best infant medical care, Sauyer still required in-home nursing assistance and regular therapy to overcome developmental and motor skills concerns. In 2010, the already difficult circumstances were made worse when Ms. Stewart found herself single and without support at home.

"It was hard to give up my career and salary and then to relocate back home to Georgia after so many years," said Ms. Stewart, who along with her sister also provides in-home care to their ailing father. "We came south with no income and no way to provide for my child, but we did come back to family and a stable environment of love and support."

Rhonda Stewart also arrived in the Atlanta area with few educational options for Sauyer. Ms. Stewart tried half days at a local preschool with 20 students in the classroom, but was told by teachers that Sauyer was "already behind and developmentally delayed." A move to a facility with smaller classroom sizes and individualized instruction made an immediate difference.

Having heard about Arete Scholars Fund from her older sister, Rhonda Stewart researched the tuition tax credit scholarship program and eventually applied for and received a full $5,800 Arete scholarship to the eligible school of her choice. Ms. Stewart's choice was to evaluate over 25 private schools in the South Metro area before finding one that offered "a perfect fit" for Sauyer.

"From the moment I walked into PBA, it's been a wonderful experience," Stewart said. "The administration, the teachers, the curriculum - it's all been just exactly what we needed."

And how has Sauyer responded?

"It's been amazing," offered Ms. Stewart. "Her teacher says Sauyer is one of the brightest students in the class. She loves to go to school. She loves to read and sing and go to chapel. Sauyer is just blooming and flourishing."

Sauyer's pediatric doctors, who have continued to monitor her progress on a regular basis, are celebrating along with the Stewarts. They are "blown away and thrilled that this has become a reality for Sauyer," according to Ms. Stewart.

“Without the school, Sauyer wouldn't be where she is," Stewart said. "And there’s no way she could be here without the Arete scholarship."

"Sauyer is a walking testimony of God's goodness."

For more information about Peoples Baptist Academy, visit them online at www.peoplesbaptistacademy.org.

Few things delight parents like seeing their children rise to meet difficult challenges, exceed expectations, and flourish in the face of adversity. For Arete couple Deborah and Mark Truchan of Powder Springs, the joy stems partly from seeing their precocious 2nd grader, Sasha, rise from "bottom of the class" as a kindergartener to straight A's at Midway Covenant Christian School.

The challenges began for the Truchans even before Sasha, now 7, was diagnosed during pre-kindergarten with a neurological condition called Sensory Processing Disorder. The frustrations grew when Mr. Truchan lost his job three years ago and the couple saw few available educational options for their middle daughter.

"We knew early that Sasha had trouble concentrating and that everyday things, loud noises, changes in structure and surroundings, fuzzy things, most any distraction at all, can totally set her off," said Deborah Truchan. "Putting a name to it helped us begin to know how to face it. Unfortunately, while my husband's part-time work helps pay the bills, it's not enough to educate Sasha as she needs."

Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD, is a condition that exists when sensory signals, those messages passed from our senses to our nervous system, fail to get organized into appropriate responses. According to the SPD Foundation, "a person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively."

According to Mrs. Truchan, children with SPD are frequently labeled in school as behavioral problems, since most are as academically talented as classmates and many are intellectually gifted. Kids are "constantly being sent to the office and punished because they are unable to sit still in chairs and are easily distracted," said Mrs. Truchan. "Senses are heightened and that makes it more difficult to maintain focus."

As a former public school teacher, Mrs. Truchan knew that Sasha needed extra care and classroom attention that she was unlikely to receive in her local school. Sasha's two years of occupational therapy confirmed the need. After learning of Georgia's Tuition Tax Credit Scholarship Program from a newspaper article, Deborah Truchan discovered Arete Scholars Fund and applied for and was awarded the need-based scholarship.

The Truchans enrolled Sasha in Midway Covenant Christian School, where their oldest daughter, Jillian, is currently in the 5th grade.

"The teachers here have been so phenomenal," said Mrs. Truchan. "They've been willing to listen to our concerns and watch for signs that something might set Sasha off. It's wonderful that they're able to give her a hug, and pray with her, and work her through the moment."

Now in her second year as an Arete Scholar, Sasha has grown from an overwhelmed and timid kindergartener to a joyful, overachieving 2nd grader who exceeds all expectations - and the impact has carried over to the entire family.

"It's amazing to see how much she has grown spiritually, emotionally, and academically," said Mrs. Truchan. "We are in awe at how Sasha is thriving despite all she's gone through. She's still learning coping skills, but she's succeeding beyond our wildest imagination."

"Without Arete, Sasha would not be at Midway. This has been life-changing for all of us."

Though only 7 years old, Sasha's tender heart, concern for others, and joyful demeanor are evident to anyone who meets her. According to Mrs. Truchan, Sasha has already set her career sights on being a nurse.

"I love caring for people," said Sasha. "I love making people feel better and smile."

For more information about Midway Covenant Christian School, visit them online at www.midwayschool.org.

For single parents like René Harris of Augusta, hope and opportunity are sometimes hard to spot amidst the daily grind of work and running a household. But for those who imagine a brighter future for their children, the dreams can't be suppressed entirely.

"One day me and my girlfriends were talking about our kids," said René Harris. "And we all agreed something had to change at school. The kids' public school wasn't bad, but there were so many distractions and my children were being picked on for their beliefs and because they wanted to learn. It broke my heart."

Ms. Harris briefly considered homeschooling her children, Nastasia Stevenson, 11, and Cornell Harris, 10, but job demands and her own part-time college studies made that impractical.

"I've always thought about finding better school options, but didn't know what was available and what I could afford," said Ms. Harris. "I wanted to be in a place where parents were active and involved in the education."

After learning about Heritage Academy from another of her friends, René Harris decided the school's rigorous and respected academic standards, the smaller class sizes, and its grounding in the Christian faith all made Heritage the best fit for her children. Unable to afford the yearly tuition of $6,000 per child, Ms. Harris applied for and received two $5,800 scholarships from Arete Scholars Fund.

A new learning environment brought drastic and immediate changes in the two fifth grade siblings.

"Nastasia and Cornell were good students before, but it always felt like something was holding them back, like something was missing," Ms. Harris said. "I've seen a huge change in their attitudes. Now they're excited about school. I can see they're more challenged and more focused."

Both Nastasia and Cornell see the improvements and have responded well to the academic challenges. 

"School feels more like home now," said Cornell Harris. "I didn't feel like I was safe before, but here I do. It's a lot harder now, but it's more fun." 

At Heritage Academy, the siblings are discovering dynamic new learning opportunities and dreaming of new career possibilities. The students are active in an after-school arts program, and Cornell is learning to play the violin.

"I like the violin, but I think I want to be a paleontologist," said Cornell. Meanwhile, sister Nastasia is contemplating a career as a dancer, choreographer, "or maybe a doctor, so I can help children."

"It's amazing to hear my children talk like that and have hope that they can reach those goals," said René Harris. "Some groups of people don't advance because they know only one way of life for generations, but Heritage is giving my family the opportunity to change that cycle. "

For more information about Heritage Academy, visit them online at http://www.heritageacademyaugusta.org/.

Arete scholar Junior Lloyd epitomizes the concept of arete - pursuing virtue and excellence with the aim of attaining one's highest human potential. As one of the very brightest at Bright Futures Academy in Atlanta, Junior earned an overall 97.4% grade average in his first semester at the academy.

But life has not always been straight A's, excellence and high expectations for Junior. Removed from his mother at birth, Junior was placed with a loving and determined grandmother, a woman committed to raising him with character and discipline. Despite difficult circumstances, Junior has blossomed into a young man of fortitude who possesses a personal drive to succeed and excel at whatever he does.

Unchallenged, out of place, and often unsafe in his previous school, Junior has found in Bright Futures a learning environment that is secure, encouraging, and academically rigorous.

"Since I've joined Bright Futures Atlanta and their Academy, I've loved it," said Junior. "Philip and Gail Ross are like second parents to me. The other kids...are my brothers, sisters and cousins. [Arete] donations are making our future even brighter."

For more information about Bright Futures Academy, visit www.bfatl.org.

Emily Martin's story is far too common, but unfortunately describes a situation that seldom gets attention and even more infrequently results in change. Emily is a bright student who performed well at her previous school. Large class sizes and an unchallenging curriculum left Emily's mother, Gina, worried that her love for learning might wane. Though she has always been reserved, Emily had already developed a reputation for spending much of her time assisting other students and less on her own studies.

Gina Martin had explored alternative school arrangements, but as a single mother was unable to afford the high-cost of tuition.

"Emily was bored and not inspired to achieve," said Ms. Martin. "But like many single moms, I struggle just to make ends meet and didn't really have options."

Emily's Arete scholarship enabled her to enroll at Sugar Hill Christian Academy in Buford. She is excelling in her studies and is excited again about attending school, according to  Gina Martin. Emily was recognized as a student of the month during her first year at the Gwinnett school.

"The smaller classes and aggressive curriculum give her the challenge she needs," added Ms. Martin. "This school has brought such joy and peace to our lives, and it's helping her to come out of her shell. Arete made that possible."

For more information about Sugar Hill Christian Academy, visit www.sugarhillchristianacademy.com.

In 2010, Carlethia Ingram of Savannah became the very first Arete Scholar. It is hard to imagine that this vibrant, outgoing and accomplished teenager arrived at Ramah Junior Academy as a shy sixth grader who would seldom speak. Her story of success, though, is born of tragedy.

Carlethia and her two younger sisters lost both parents at a young age and have been raised since by a grandmother and aunt in Savannah's Frazier Homes public housing community. While Carlethia struggled academically and socially in her local public school, her grandmother dreamed of sending her to the nearly century old Ramah Junior Academy (RJA). Without a tax credit scholarship, the dream would likely have remained just that.

During the 2010-11 school year, Carlethia served as the student body president, consistently earned a spot on the Principal’s List with all A’s, and even addressed school choice supporters during a rally at the state capitol in Atlanta. She excels at science and math and aspires to one day be a pediatrician. As Arete Scholars, Carlethia and her sisters are all able to attend RJA and are living with renewed confidence and great hope.

"Because of Arete and Ramah, I've been given the opportunity to pursue my dreams," said Carlethia. "But there are thousands of other students around Georgia who have the same dream and deserve the same opportunity."

For more information about Ramah Junior Academy, visit them online at www.ramahsdaja.com.