As a child, I attended a neighborhood public school that did not have much structure, which in turn meant that I did not learn much there. Around the fourth grade, my mother discovered the choice program through a network of schools called HOPE Christian Schools. This school had structure from the way classrooms were ran to how the children were dressed.
When I got to Hope I felt intimidated but ready to finally learn and engage in a school with a solid learning culture. The small class sizes made me comfortable and the uniforms made me feel like everyone else, which helped me focus on actually learning.
They made us set goals for ourselves and made it clear to me that college was always an attainable goal, even at a young age. They pushed me to be the best version of myself from fourth grade all the way through to my entire high school career.
It was okay to make mistakes because, as a class, we grew together and our teachers made all of the content we learned digestible. The focused attention I received molded me to eventually be independent and want these things for myself.
I am now a junior in college and I plan to have a career soon. The skills and lessons I learned at Hope are transferable to my everyday life. I feel prepared and ready to move forward at all times thanks to my time under the Milwaukee choice program.
