Patricia Prado is a parent of Krystal, a CSF Scholar in the seventh grade at St. Leo’s School in Corona, Queens.
Why did you decide to send Krystal to St. Leo’s School?
Patricia: My older daughter didn’t attend a private school and I felt that there was a lack of discipline. We had some issues and I didn’t think she was learning. I knew I need to change things for Krystal, so I researched and found out about St. Leo’s and CSF. I wanted Krystal to get a better education.
Are you happy with your choice? How has the scholarship benefitted you?
Patricia: Yes, I am very happy. I am willing to sacrifice and pay for this school because the quality of the education is great. Krystal is learning and she is also disciplined. The school teachers and administrators are very helpful and they know her very well—it’s very personal and family-like. The staff also understands my financial struggles and helps me. Krystal is doing really well academically and she loves science. She wants to be a science teacher.
Krystal: St. Leo’s is a safe environment and I love going there. Our school sometimes has dress-down or dress-up day to donate money to different organizations. Compared to some other friends I have going to different schools, I am in more advanced classes. They have little tolerance for bullying and other bad behavior. I can really learn in the environment at my school. I never feel behind, the teachers are always there for us. I have a lot of friends and I volunteer after school with them to help the teacher. I love science because it’s always changing. I also like social studies because you learn about history and learn the origin of different places—like how New York City was developed.
What are your hopes for the future?
Patricia: I want Krystal to continue her private school education into high school. I want her to go to college and have a career—I also want to go to back to school and a get a degree. I want to be a teacher as well. After being laid-off from my previous job, I got a job as a school aide. I had no experience in working at a school before, but I love it. I want to teach little kids.
Krystal: I think that now that I have gone to St. Leo’s for seven years, I’m used to a certain environment where there is a structure and a consistency. Next
year, my homeroom teacher will help us find our high schools. She also looks up the distance and where we can take the train or bus to our high schools. The high school I want to go to is St. Francis Prep. We have gone to many open houses, but St. Francis Prep has a welcoming feel to it and they had so many extracurricular clubs. However, the tuition there is very high and sometimes I don’t want to put my mom through all that stress to pay my tuition. I want to thank you for helping my mom. It means a lot to me.
I want to be a teacher because I love helping people. I like to explain things to people. Even with my friends, I will try to break it down and help them understand things. Ms. Rodriguez, who teaches social studies, is my favorite teacher. She relates to the students and talks to them in a way that everyone can easily understand a concept or a topic. I’m also interested in design and fashion because my grandmother tailors and makes custom dresses, so I may go into that field as well!