Think about your middle school years, what were you going through when you were twelve?
When I was about twelve years old, I had to worry about going to big government places to tell my school choice story. There was always uncertainty every new school year due to opposition to school choice. I remember seeing my mom filling out scholarship applications and often murmuring to herself that one scholarship or another hadn’t responded yet.
At twelve years old, I remember going to protests and legislative hearings to share my story, super nervous and often confused because I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t understand why anybody would be opposed to me going to a school of my choice, and I didn’t understand why their opinions would affect my ability to attend that school. All I knew was that I wouldn’t be able to attend school if we lost my scholarships; so, I had to speak up.
From kindergarten up until 5th grade, I attended a public school. I did not realize it then, but the school I had been attending was not a good school. I struggled with making friends and was falling behind. In my sixth-grade year, I switched to a private school. My new school was very different. I had support from teachers, made new friends, and I was able to excel academically.
However, there was still the possibility of losing the ability to go to this school. Despite my mother and I sharing our stories the program I benefitted from was attacked. I was fortunate enough not to lose my scholarship, but many kids in Nevada were not as lucky. I watched as families were stripped of their scholarships and I decided to keep fighting.
But, we need more support; I don’t want other kids like my siblings to lose their opportunities. Every kid deserves a school where they will be able to benefit from better opportunities. All families should be able to securely choose the right school for their kids.
