We’re incredibly proud to announce that CSF Alumnus Antoine Peralta Castro has been selected to join the latest cohort of the American Federation for Children’s (AFC) Future Leaders Fellows program. According to AFC, the fellowship is designed “to identify and develop tomorrow’s leaders in the educational choice movement, those who can speak best to its urgent need and potential: the men and women who credit school choice for changing their lives.”
Antoine first used a CSF scholarship when he was entering sixth grade. One of his public school teachers had advised his mother to try to enroll him in a private middle school, because, in his words, “Where I’m from, the private options for middle and high school were considered significantly better than the public options. But it was a huge shift for my parents to start to pay for education when it was first free.”
Antoine’s parents, who are Mexican immigrants, always impressed on him the importance of education “My parents came to America because it held the promise of a better future for their children,” he shared. “They didn’t want me or my siblings to drop out of school like they had to.”
Thankfully, with help from CSF, Antoine’s parents were able to enroll him at Our Lady Queen of Angels School (OLQA), where he spent his last two years of middle school and graduated eighth grade at the top of his class.
Last year at a CSF reception, Antoine spoke to supporters about how his years at OLQA influenced the rest of his education:
“OLQA has helped me and [my brother] Emmanuel reach our full potential. I worked hard at school, and OLQA pushed me to do more when I thought I had reached my limit. I noticed my grades picked up quickly, leading me to my high school, Cristo Rey New York. The same happened there, where I would push myself and achieve new goals. I did my best work throughout the years, which led me to Fordham University, where I am pursuing a computer science major in software engineering.”
Antoine’s hard work and perseverance at school has set an example for the rest of his family. Once he became a CSF Scholar, his younger siblings became eligible for the program too. Emmanuel is also an OLQA graduate, and younger brothers Steven and Thiago are still students at OLQA, continuing to benefit from CSF’s support.
“My brothers now have the same opportunity that I have had for a great education, the kind my parents wanted for us,” Antoine said.
We look forward to watching Antoine continue to pursue his education, while sharing his story so many more students might gain access to the kinds of educational opportunities he and his brothers have had.
