A Fresh Start: How Arete Scholars Transformed Alphonso’s Education and Renewed His Joy

Many families, whether they know the word or not, are deeply committed to the idea of arete—the pursuit of excellence, fulfilling one's purpose, and reaching one's greatest, God-given potential. It's about applying oneself fully, cultivating wisdom, building strong habits, and living with integrity and virtue.  

For Lauren's 5th-grade son, Alphonso, arete is realized through a new school and a fresh start. With renewed motivation, academic achievement, growing confidence, exciting extracurricular opportunities, and deepening relationships, he is discovering what it means to strive for excellence, attain goals, and grow in maturity. 

Unfortunately, this wasn't always true.  

As a single mother who has undergone multiple heart surgeries, the past few years have been far from what Lauren expected. These struggles have taken a toll on Alphonso as well.

"We have been through so much—it's been tough for a long time," Lauren reflects. "I didn't know what to do when I saw my child so depressed about school and knew that everything I had tried in the past was no longer helping him."

Determined to find a better school for her son, Lauren explored every option. A simple internet search led to a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long time.  

"That's when I started researching all my options online," she said. "I found there were scholarship programs like Arete and was like, 'Oh wow.'"

Arete Scholars opened the door for Alphonso to attend Carencro Catholic School, whose dedicated faculty and staff work tirelessly to create dynamic and supportive educational opportunities where every student can grow spiritually, morally, and academically.

Alphonso's transformation was almost immediate.

"I could see life come back in my child after he changed schools," she shares. "I am so thankful, and I knew I needed to share this story about how Arete Scholars changed my child's life."

In just his first year attending, Carencro Catholic has been a lifeline for Alphonso. CCS offers a faith-filled, academically challenging environment full of opportunities for learning and individual growth.

Alphonso, who has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia and has severe asthma and allergies, once struggled in school.

"Before attending CCS, he wasn't grasping the material," Lauren shares. "Nobody took the time to review the material with him, and his grades really suffered. That didn't help with home life because we prioritize good grades."

This led Lauren to seek tutoring help for her son at Sylvan Learning Center. While she noticed some progress, this above-and-beyond one-on-one tutoring was a financial burden that added even more stress to her life. 

"I needed to do something because I didn't want him to get behind in his classwork," she says.  

But now, thanks to the smaller class sizes and personalized attention from his teachers, his grades have improved remarkably. He is also taking responsibility for his learning. 

"Last year, he was getting C's, D's, and F's on report cards," Lauren shares. "And just this week, we got his report card—all A's and one B. It's been quite the turnaround, and I know it's because of the support of his teachers and how they have helped him this year."

"The first thing he does when he comes home is homework," she adds. "And he doesn't ask me to check it or anything. He knows what he is doing and is confident in his understanding of the work. He says to me, 'If I don't understand something, my teachers will take time with me.'"

In addition to excelling academically, CCS also provides Alphonso with many new experiences, especially team sports.

"He played basketball this year, and he's now into track season," Lauren says. "Next year, he's excited to play football and wants to try baseball, too."

As Lauren reflects on her son's time at Carencro Catholic School, she expresses gratitude for Arete Scholars and those who support its scholarship programs. 

"I want to tell the donors that they are really making a difference in people's lives," she says. "If it weren't for this scholarship, we would still be in the same situation as last year and years before. Alphonso was a depressed kid who would cry every night and cry on the way to school the next day. Now, he's flourishing. Kids are supposed to have fun, and to see him go from being depressed to this happy kid has been such a gift."

"He's finally able to have a childhood," she adds. "Arete has turned my family's life around."

Arete is defined as excellence in action. It's a life well-lived, both virtuous and courageous. The term perfectly describes what Alphonoso has experienced through the educational and extracurricular offerings at Carencro Catholic School. And it's been made possible thanks to the generosity of those who partner with Arete Scholars. 

Together, we are reaching kids with the greatest financial and academic needs and providing them access to critical, life-changing resources by empowering low-income families to choose a safe, effective, child-centered learning environment that works for them.

As she contemplates the meaning of arete, Lauren can't help but consider her hopes and prayers for Alphonso: "As far as a life well-lived, I see it as his ability just to be a kid and have fun. I want to see him go through life, learn everything he can, and have fun doing it."

At Carencro Catholic, Alphonso gets what he needs to thrive academically, socially, and spiritually. The school offers a holistic environment, facilitating his intellectual development, critical thinking skills, and knowledge acquisition. It helps to foster creativity, curiosity, and a sense of social responsibility. Above all, CCS provides Alphonso with every possible resource in one location, meaning Lauren does not have to seek outside help to meet his needs.

As the school serves as a foundation for his educational journey and guides him toward lifelong success, Alphonso finds renewed joy in excelling academically.

"Alphonso takes pride in earning good grades, and that will carry him," Lauren says. "He's going to take pride in everything he does in life.”