When my family immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, my parents made significant financial sacrifices to enroll my sister and me in private schools. However, during the Great Recession in the late 2000s, my dad lost his job, and we were forced to seek more affordable educational options.
After leaving the private school system, my parents faced challenges finding cost-effective learning environments that met our individual needs.
They understood early on that my sister and I required different approaches to learning. I eventually thrived at a public charter school, where I graduated and earned numerous scholarships and opportunities.
My school changed my life in a way they let me have a flexible schedule during school hours, including being able to do my outside activities such as performing as a member of the International Children’s Choir, Mathletes, volunteer in the community, and I even got to be involved in debate, National Honor Society, and was even involved in the first EVER National School Choice Week.
I was also not always in the four walls of a classroom. We did a lot of learning outdoors, did visits to museums and schools, and we did a lot of hands-on work. A bit of a bonus: My AP biology teacher was also able to pull my class out of standardized testing after we had finished our AP Biology exam. We had teachers who cared about and advocated for us, and my English teacher is one of the reasons I fell in love with writing and public speaking.
Finding the right educational fit made all the difference for me, and I am forever grateful for those opportunities.
Now, I am able to advocate to ensure all children have access to an education that works for them so they can thrive academically and in their needs and interests. I want to make sure that my son has access to an education environment that works for him, and we are starting him young when it comes to learning. School choice is also now my platform when it comes to pageantry.
I have seen firsthand how school choice saves lives.
From Utah to Nevada to South Carolina to Georgia to other states, I have visited with different school environments, families, and educators. Not one student is alike, and they all need an education tailored to their needs and interests. Income should not be the reason for why they cannot attend a school that fits them.
I remember visiting California several years ago, and I learned about families who would sell their homes and move into the zones of the best public schools, and they would live in smaller spaces because they believed that their children needed environments that worked for them.
Unfortunately in a state like California, kids truly need better access to programs and opportunities that states like Utah, Arizona, Florida have.
Also, school choice overall no matter the program ends up saving a lot of money for families, school districts, and the states!
