Student Bios
Pablo
We’d like to introduce you to Pablo, an energetic and bright six year old who says he likes his private ACE school because “it’s fun.” Actually, you can see it in his eyes – the fun just exudes from this kid.
Pablo tells us his mom sent him to this neighborhood ACE private school because “she heard it was good.” Pablo simply likes special study topics “because it’s fun.” He especially likes the field trips his class takes; you guessed it, “because of the fun.”
Yet when we asked this boy who seems to like everything what the very best thing about his school might be, Pablo quickly answered “The kids!”
That tells us something about the discipline and balance at school when education is such a positive experience both academically and socially.
Frankie
Please meet ACE Scholars Frankie who is five and attends an ACE partner school in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood.
Don’t be fooled by his age; Frankie already knows the alphabet, knows how to print his letters and is learning phonics with the other students in his class. And he already knows that he wants to be a police officer.
Frankie tells us he likes his school because “I like to learn, play, do puzzles and go outside.” Life is good.
Frankie is from a large family that shares lots of love. That made it easier when tragedy recently struck, as Frankie relates the story that “My dog died from eating too much.”
It probably helped that Frankie’s hero is his Uncle Paul - a pastor who somehow is able to make sense of such things for someone who “just turned five.”
Truc Anh
Please meet Truc Anh, a high achieving fourth grader at an ACE school where her family moved her “because it’s safe.” We hear this often, but in this case “safe” means more than escaping playground bullies.
A few years ago, Truc Anh’s family left everything to flee Vietnam because their Catholic religion had created real conflict with the communist government. Lacking party membership, they would forever be denied benefits like education.
Desperate to gain freedom for her children, Truc Anh’s mother immigrated to Denver where she heard about ACE. Now we appreciate why Truc Anh repeats that her school “is peaceful and feels safe and they are nice and pay a lot of attention to you.”
It’s an especially great place for Truc Anh who tells us that “Someday I’ll either be a doctor, or maybe a lawyer.” Sounds like a great return on our investment.
Alberto
Please meet Alberto, whose life at the age of five is already defined by action. When you ask him what his favorite thing about his ACE private school is he’s quick to answer “recess” because of the non-stop soccer action on the playground.
Alberto’s heroes are “policemen because they catch bad people.” Personally, he wants “to be a fireman because they rescue people.”
But don’t let the male stereotype fool you; Alberto’s favorite class is science “because we learn about nature and things.” And he’s quick to say “the best thing about my school is the learning.”
That’s real school choice; we couldn’t have scripted it any better. Did his mom tell him to say that? Well, to do it she’d have to catch up with him first!
Gisselle
Please allow us to introduce Gisselle, a vivacious first grader at and ACE Partner school in Denver. Everyone who meets this playful six year old falls in love with her, but that’s probably because she simply exudes love and life to everyone around her – it’s just contagious!
Gisselle tells us she loves her teacher, Ms. Sharon “because she teaches me how to learn.” She says she “loves art because I can paint and do anything!” Giselle also loves her school since “everybody wants to be my friend.” She also loves her dog Tiger, and “oh yeah, Six Flags because it has roller coasters.”
Wouldn’t it be great to be a kid in an ACE partner school that encourages the love of life and learning? We think so too.
Amanda
We’d like you to meet Amanda. She’s a first grader in her ACE private school, and you quickly get the sense from her demeanor that she’ll grow up to be anything she chooses. Right now, “doctor” is at the top of that list.
Amanda tells us her family was able to enroll her at her ACE Partner school after receiving an ACE scholarship “because they wanted me to learn English.” She likes her dual language school “because our teachers are the best. Especially Mrs. Zandra - she speaks Spanish!”
Someday Amanda wants to visit Mexico where her extended family lives. Maybe she’ll go there as “Dr. Amanda” because she learned the love of learning with the help of an ACE scholarship.
Any dream is possible with the right education.
Jody
We’d like to introduce Jody, a seven year old second grader in an ACE private school.
Like so many girls her age, Jody loves horses and wants to own one some day. In the meantime, she really likes that her “teacher Miss L. makes science fun and is so kind and nice.” In fact, “nice” is also how Jody describes all the other kids in her school - even the boys.
Because Miss L. and other ACE teachers are allowed to keep their schools under control, students are consistently free to enjoy learning – and each other. That’s a private school attribute that has expanded the ACE waiting list to more than four times the number of scholarships we can award in a typical semester.
Kids are quick to pick up on these intangibles too. Jody knows that her parents chose her ACE partner school “because of its values.” For ACE, the value lies in providing quality educations to great kids like Jody.
Jahmai
Jahmai is an outgoing eight year old who has lots of friends, loves his dog Bear “who knows lots of tricks but is lazy” and adores his teacher Ms. Jan “because she helps me do things I don’t know how to do.”
Like most of the boys in his inner-city neighborhood, Jahmai loves sports, especially the Broncos, and wants to play in the NFL when he grows up. Oh yeah, he also loves his ACE private school “because math is so challenging – especially algebra.”
Yeah you read it right; an eight year old who loves algebra.
This young man thinks he’s in heaven because of the opportunity to spend extended time in the computer lab where he has developed a love for math and science. Jahmai admits “I like to work on the computer because it allows me to concentrate and I can challenge myself to another level”
Okay; apart from that, he’s just like every other kid…and, we’re sure Jahmai will have no problems finding a second career after the NFL.
“Access to a quality education is not only a right that all children and youth should have, but it is an invaluable tool to fight poverty, create a safer city, and prepare a skilled local workforce.”
John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor