A Teacher's Journey: A Story of Support and Gratitude

For Angel, life is busy but fulfilling. As a mother of two daughters and a first-grade teacher at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School in Monroe, Louisiana, Angel’s days are filled with lesson plans, classroom activities, and helping her daughters—Mariam, nine, and Nora, seven—navigate their academic and personal lives. However, Angel’s story goes deeper than just the typical busyness of a working parent; it’s a story of perseverance, community, and the critical support organizations like Arete Scholars provide to families like hers.

Angel, a Monroe native, didn’t always know that teaching would be her path. In fact, after graduating from Louisiana State University with a degree in liberal arts and a minor in art history, she thought her career would lead her to New York as a curator at an art gallery. However, she quickly changed her path, and returned to Monroe to pursue what her parents had always told her she’d be great at—teaching. 

“I thought I knew better,” Angel says with a laugh, reflecting on her earlier reluctance to heed her parents’ advice. “But they were right. Teaching was where I was meant to be.”

She earned her master’s degree in teaching, and while completing her program, she worked with The Carmel Hill Education Fund, a nonprofit that sends college students to schools to help struggling readers. During this time, Angel was offered a chance to student-teach at Jesus the Good Good Shepherd, but she initially declined, wanting to gain experience in public schools. 

“I did student-teaching at a public school here in Monroe, but it was rough,” she recalls. “There were a lot of students with tough home lives, and it really affected their ability to learn. I saw desks being thrown at teachers and even a child bringing a BB gun to school. It was very unfortunate.”

After that experience, Angel knew she wanted something different for herself. She reached out to the principal at Jesus the Good Shepherd, Lisa Patrick, and eagerly accepted a position filling in for a teacher who had taken maternity leave. She then served as a long-term substitute before finally being offered a first-grade teaching position, and she’s been at the school ever since.

“It’s like a family,” Angel says of the school. “Lisa is amazing. She supports us as mothers and always says, ‘Take care of your family first, then come take care of the kids at school.’ That kind of support is why I’ve stayed for so many years.”

Angel’s daughters, Mariam and Nora, have been Arete Scholars since kindergarten. Enrolling their daughters at Jesus the Good Shepherd was an easy choice for Angel and her husband, Adam. Both had attended private schools in Monroe, and they saw the benefits firsthand. However, affording a private school education for two children, even with two full-time working parents, was a significant financial challenge.

“The moment we found out we had been awarded the Arete scholarships, I felt instant relief and gratitude,” she says. “Every year when I get that email saying they’ve been awarded, I tear up. I don’t know what we would do without that support.”

Angel notes that the scholarships have allowed her family to invest in their daughters’ extracurricular activities and experiences—things that would have otherwise been financially out of reach. From dance to cheer to summer science and art camps, the scholarships have opened doors for Mariam and Nora that she believes will shape their future for the better. 

“The scholarship takes the burden off us,” she says. “It’s not just about getting them through school; it’s about giving them opportunities to be curious and grow.”

One of the unique aspects of Angel’s life is that she not only works at the school her daughters attend, but she has also taught both in her own classroom. As a first-grade teacher, she taught her eldest daughter, Mariam, a few years ago and is currently teaching her youngest, Nora. 

“I was worried at first,” she admits. “Kids are very different at school than at home, and I wasn’t sure how they’d handle having me as their teacher. But they’ve both been great. They try to impress me and show me how well they’re doing.”

For Angel, teaching at the same school her daughters attend has given her an inside look at their growth and development. “It’s a rare thing to see your children thrive in school every day, to be so close to their teachers, and to have colleagues who are like family helping to mold them into the people they’re becoming.”

One of the things that stands out most to Angel is the sense of community at Jesus the Good Shepherd. When her daughter Nora was born prematurely at just 28 weeks, weighing only 1 pound, 7 ounces, the experience was terrifying. Nora spent 69 days in the NICU, and doctors warned Angel and Adam of potential long-term complications.

But the school’s tight-knit community rallied around the family, providing meals, support, and prayers. Nora’s teachers have been diligent in ensuring she received the extra help she needed. Thanks to the financial support from Arete, the family was assured they could afford the essential speech and occupational therapy that little Nora required. Today, she’s thriving academically—reading at a second-grade level despite being in first grade.

“It’s been amazing to see her come so far,” Angel says. “The support we’ve received from the school and the scholarships have made all the difference.”

Angel is quick to express her gratitude to Arete Scholars and to those who financially support the organization. She recognizes that scholarships often come with a stigma, and some think they’re only for families in extreme financial need. But Angel wants people to know that the scholarships help families like hers, who are working hard but still struggle to afford the cost of private school education.

“Arete scholarships make a huge impact on families like ours,” she says. “They help us give our children a quality education and the experiences that come with it without having to work extra jobs or sacrifice meaningful family time.”

Angel hopes those who support Arete Scholars understand their generosity's life-changing impact on families like hers. 

“You’re not just helping low-income families; you’re helping working-class families, people like us who just need a little help to give our children the best.”

When asked about her hopes for Mariam and Nora, Angel pauses. She dreams big for her daughters, believing that the education they're receiving at Jesus the Good Shepherd and the opportunities afforded by the Arete scholarship will open limitless doors.

“They’re learning to be kind, to give back, and to think of others,” she says. “That’s what I want for them—a life well-lived, full of kindness and empathy, with the education and opportunities to do whatever they dream.”

As she reflects on her journey, Angel’s heart is full of gratitude—for her daughters, her community at Jesus the Good Shepherd, and the support that has made it all possible.