Washington Scholarship Fund

Stories of Success:
WSF Students, Families, Alumni, and Educators

 

The Jordan Family

Malcolm and Charlita Jordan appreciate having quality choices for where to send their four children to school in Washington, D.C. All four participate in WSF’s D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Says Malcolm, “I want to make sure my children can get the best educations offered, making sure they can get the best out of life.” And all three children are getting exactly what they need. Read the Jordan family’s story here.
 

The Urquilla Family

Blanca Urquilla has three children and all of them have used scholarships through WSF’s Signature Scholarship Program. Her two oldest are in college and her youngest is in the 2nd grade. Blanca has been using WSF scholarships “for as long as I can remember.” Without these opportunities, Blanca has no idea where her children would be - “possibly on the streets,” she says. Read the Urquilla family’s story here.

The Williamson Family

Anquanette Williamson is determined to have her children in schools that are best for them. “My kids’ educations mean the world to me. You saw what happened with Obama, right? I’m looking for the next President right here!” she says as she points to her children. In 2004, Anquanette found out about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program through a co-worker whose daughter received a scholarship, and she also heard an advertisement on the radio. Read the Williamson family’s story here.

The Vargas Family

Mr. Domingo Vargas has two boys who have been using scholarships through WSF’s Signature Scholarship Program for many years. Domingo is grateful that, because of the scholarship program, he hasn’t ever had to worry about the quality of his sons’ educations, their behavior, their study habits, or their safety. “Without the scholarships,” Domingo says, “there’s no way I’d be able to send my boys to these high quality schools. They have a great future ahead of them.” Read the Vargas family’s story here.

The Fairclough Family

When Radcliffe Fairclough was awarded a scholarship through WSF’s D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program lottery for his son, O’Shane, he knew that they had been given a big chance. In fact, although he heard about the scholarship program through his sister, O’Shane’s name was pulled out but his cousin’s was not-demand is just so great for these education opportunities. Says Radcliffe, “The scholarship has given myself and other parents the opportunity to give my child what he needs to be a better man of today and tomorrow.” Read the Fairclough family’s story here.

The Cabieses Family

Maria Cabieses found out about the scholarship program after mass at the Sacred Heart Church. She quickly filled out an application and hoped that her youngest daughter, Myriam, would be awarded a D.C. Opportunity Scholarship. Although Myriam’s elementary public school had been adequate, the local middle and high schools gave Maria pause-the lax behavior and attitudes gave her the determination to find a better school for her daughter. Myriam was awarded a scholarship in 2005 and used it to go to Sacred Heart Middle School and then to St. John’s College High School, where she is currently a 10th-grader. Read the Cabieses family's story here.

The Payne Family

Ms. Clementine Payne and her daughter, Charity, participated in WSF’s Signature Scholarship Program for 13 years-from Kindergarten to when Charity graduated from high school in 2008! There is no doubt in Clementine’s mind that using SSP scholarships to send her daughter to private schools was the right thing to do. “She has blossomed into a self-confident, well-mannered, and mature young lady,” says Clementine. Read the Payne family’s story here.

The William Family

Patricia William and her two children, Fransoir and Pierre, have been part of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program since the first year of the program in 2004. Patricia truly loves being part of the program and she appreciates all the opportunities it has provided her family. She applied because her son’s public school was not meeting his needs. When Fransoir won a scholarship through the lottery, the family was ecstatic. “I was desperate for a change, and a chance,” says Patricia. “I was looking for options that would work for my son.” Read the William family’s story here.

The Afram Family

In Ghana, Ms. Angelina Afram was a single mom who wanted a better life for her children. So, just several years ago, she and her daughter Janis picked up their life to start anew in America. Once in D.C., she began searching for a school for Janis. After hearing stories from relatives, neighbors and friends, she determined that the local public schools were not the right fit. Through various networks she, thankfully, learned about WSF’s Signature Scholarship Program. “Without the SSP,” Angelina says, “Janis would not be able to receive the education she needs.” Read the Afram family's story here.

The Bernard Family

Once Linda Bernard heard from her sister about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship in 2004, she wasted no time in applying for a scholarship for her daughter, Corinthian. She wanted Corinthian to receive a better education, at a school “where teachers care.” Corinthian has been a scholarship recipient since 2004 and is currently an 11th-grader at St. John’s College High School. “I love St. John’s because it has a lot of opportunities,” says Corinthian. “I learn so much from the classes... There are new things to try. It broadens my horizons and gets me ready for college.” Read the Bernard family’s story here.

The Laude Family

Maria Laude found out about the scholarship program from a flyer in the mail in 2004. As soon as she saw it, she jumped at the chance and applied for one because she wanted her daughter, Joumana, to go to a private school. Transferring from a public to a private school was a difficult transition because the environment was so different - the kids were calmer, the classrooms were under control, and the teachers made extra efforts to help the kids inside and outside the classroom. “If I didn’t have the scholarship, it’d be a problem,” Joumana reflects. “I feel that in public schools you don’t have peace of mind, but at this school [St. John’s] I’m at ease.” Read the Laude family’s story here.

The Tanner Family

Sharon Tanner first heard about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program in the newspaper. At the time, her son Zachary was in fifth grade and Sharon was already looking ahead to his future. She applied for the scholarship because she wanted Zachary to have a better education - smaller classes and a more structured learning environment. She was looking for a school close to home with strong academics and a Through the opportunity of school choice, Sharon decided that St. Ann’s was a better fit for Zachary’s needs where he thrived there in middle school and is now a 10th grader at St. John’s College High School. Read the Tanner family’s story here.

The Aburto Family

Guillermo Aburto Sr. came to America for a better life. Escaping the violence of civil war in Nicaragua, he and his wife wanted better lives for their family. He knew that the key was education, and so he worked two jobs while struggling to make ends meet so he could send his children to private schools. Guillermo Sr. can remember the day in 2005 that he received a scholarship for his two youngest children-daughter Luz and son Guillermo Jr. “I applied to the OSP because it was important to me,” Guillermo Sr. says. “Right now, the public schools are not the best, they’re trying to change and that’s good. The private schools pay more attention to the student and I want that for my child.” Read the Aburto family’s story here.

The Young Family

Jody Young was determined to find a better school for her son. Ever since Kindergarten, she noticed that DeCarlos needed to be challenged, as he would quickly become bored and act out. “I wanted him to have a better education,” says Jody. “He is so bright - very advanced in reading and writing - I didn’t want to waste that talent.” Read the Young family’s story here.
 

 

The Bangura Family

“Since my daughter was in Kindergarten, I’ve sacrificed to put her through private school,” says Mohammed Bangura. “But it became expensive, and I couldn’t afford it. I needed help. With the scholarship, I’ve been able to choose the school that works.” Read the Bangura family’s story here.