A Place of Healing: How A School is Restoring Hope for One Young Survivor

As Frederick approached his fifth birthday, his mother, Eliza*, began noticing changes in his behavior. He wasn't the happy, outgoing little boy who loved to laugh, be silly, and play with his friends. His personality had changed—he became quieter and more reserved and no longer expressed interest in the things he most enjoyed.

Alarmed by this shift in her son's demeanor, Eliza began searching for answers, desperate to regain the happy little boy she knew and loved. What she would discover was a parent's worst nightmare. 

"My son had been sexually abused by his father starting when he was around three years old," Eliza shares. "As a young child, he was so fearless and just the happiest child, but the physical and emotional abuse changed everything for our family."

The discovery of Frederick’s abuse devastated Eliza and sent the entire family into a years-long tailspin. The road to recovery and restoration has been wearisome. Still, it has been aided by the constant love of close family and friends, a legal system that seeks to protect the dignity of all children, and hours of trauma therapy and family counseling. 

"It's horrifying to watch your entire family fall apart because of one person," she says. "It's a daily struggle, but we just take it day by day. Through therapy, we're trying to rewire his little mind to become who he was again. I see positive changes—he's more outgoing, adventurous, and not as timid. Of course, there are setbacks, and the intense counseling will be a part of his life for a long time."

Another partner has aided them on their journey of restoration, one that Eliza says has been invaluable to Frederick’s healing over the past year. It is the people and place with whom he now spends five days a week as a kindergartner: The Church Academy.

At The Church Academy (TCA), administrators and teachers have wrapped Eliza and Frederick in the arms of a loving community. This community has proven essential as the family works to rebuild their lives.

The Church Academy is a private school in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, with a bold vision: "Shaping Hearts and Sharpening Minds to Change the World." It strives for high academic excellence in education and prioritizes equipping its students to be what they call world changers—precisely what Eliza longs to see Frederick become.

"I always wanted Frederick to attend TCA," she says. "I kept praying about our options because I knew a school with large class sizes would just be too much for him." 

Eliza also wanted a school environment that would support the family's values. While she does her part at home to help instruct Frederick according to her faith, she knows that faith must also be reinforced at school. Given everything Frederick has endured, their shared faith is integral to his personal development and education.

"I wanted him in a positive environment and not be just another kid filling a desk," she states. 

While The Church Academy was what Eliza desired most for Frederick, the financial constraints of private school education were a significant barrier. She had already spent most of the family's savings on legal fees while fighting for justice and her son's protection. Between the lawyers, therapy sessions, and gas costs to get to and from every hearing and appointment, Eliza did not have the financial means to provide her son with the education she knew he deserved. Fortunately, an administrator at TCA informed her of Arete Scholars and encouraged her to apply for a scholarship. 

"I work three days a week now, but it still isn't enough to afford tuition," Eliza says. "So I applied to Arete, and we got it. I immediately cried when I found out Frederick had been awarded a scholarship. That was the first ray of hope we had had in a long time."

"Being awarded this scholarship was that first step we needed," she continues. "I finally started to feel that everything's going to be okay. I was elated because I never wanted him to go to a school where they would treat him differently."

At TCA, Frederick is fitting in just fine. In his first year of attending, Eliza views Frederick’s school experience as playing an indispensable role in his healing journey, access to which she owes to Arete Scholars. Arete's partial tuition scholarship makes Frederick’s private school education possible, access to which is already paying off. Eliza sees significant changes in Frederick, and so does his teacher.

"At our first teacher conference, she shared just how much he’s changed," she says. "He has become more outgoing and is making friends with his classmates."

"When I think of the education and environment at The Church Academy, the words that come to mind are structure and discipline," she continues. "Frederick is a little more fragile and vulnerable with everything he's gone through, and the school has been so wonderful at helping him build back his confidence."

Frederick’s teacher, Mrs. Tracy, is one of his biggest champions. 

"We heard that Mrs. Tracy was the best before the school year, but, in reality, she's beyond the best,” Eliza says. “Frederick loves her so much, and he trusts her. She's loving and kind and so good with him. It's a huge step to see him open up and build this bond and trust with her, especially for someone his age who has experienced the horrors he has. Mrs. Tracy’s class is right where he needed to be this year."

Frederick has shown such positive growth since he began attending school at The Church Academy. Eliza appreciates the financial support she has received from Arete Scholars, which makes this possible.

"I will be forever grateful for Arete and the people who support them," she says. "Because of Arete, families like mine have the opportunity to grow in their faith and for young kids to become who they are meant to be. Access to The Church Academy is the best gift they could give us."

Despite the injustice that Frederick has endured, Eliza speaks out boldly for two reasons: first, she hopes to bring light to the problem of abuse and inform and educate other families to identify the warning signs. Perhaps her story will encourage parents to communicate with their children and inspire them to act courageously to discuss hard topics without fear, shame, or embarrassment.

Second, she wants to acknowledge and honor the value of trusted partnerships and a loving community—to show gratitude for those willing to walk with you through the darkest valleys, lift your spirit, and support you in your greatest time of need. For Eliza and Frederick, many of those people have emerged through The Church Academy. 

It takes courage to be vulnerable and to expose the parts of your life that could bring the most shame. For victims of sexual abuse, shame is often the chasm that impedes true healing and restoration. But Eliza has no further to look than her little Frederick as the inspiration for the courage and strength to press on in the face of such heartbreaking circumstances.

"Every day, Frederick wakes up smiling and laughing," she shares. "With everything he has gone through, he is still full of kindness and love. Some days, I'm just so tired—tired of life, therapy, tired of…" Eliza’s thought trails.

After a pause, she continues, "Life is hard, but that's just life. Frederick reminds me that everything will be okay. He shows me that if a child can get through one of the most horrible things that could ever happen, where his innocence was taken away, so can I. He inspires me to keep fighting for him and to keep moving forward."

Her fight is anchored in the belief that the injustice of abuse will not define Frederick's life. He is no longer a victim; he's a survivor. Eliza knows that her son—thanks in part to the life-giving instruction and holistic formation he is receiving—will one day be, as The Church Academy strives to develop, a "world changer." 

"This little boy is so special, and I pray his story will help make a difference in people's lives," she says. "Frederick is a fighter, and I know God's hand is on him. He's going to move mountains."

*Names changed to protect survivor’s and family member’s identity