Lorna is a parent of CSF Scholar Caliyah, who is in the eighth grade at Immaculate Conception School.
Q&A with CSF Mom Lorna
Why did you choose to send Caliyah to a private school?
“I grew up in Grenada and attended a Catholic school. I craved the same education for my child. Good academics and discipline.”
How did you first hear about Children’s Scholarship Fund?
“I am a single parent and I used to work for a family and they helped me research various scholarship funds that could help Caliyah go to a private school. She was in kindergarten at a private school in the Upper West Side at the time. I couldn’t afford to keep sending her to a private school without support.”
Are you happy with your choice? Do you think Caliyah has benefitted from the scholarship?
“Yes, Caliyah is well behaved and has compassion for other kids. A lot of my friends have kids who go to different schools and listening to their stories can be shocking—kids stealing from each other, bullying, worrying about clothes and shoes. This takes away the focus on education. Many families are low-income and cannot afford these extra things, but kids compare themselves and make fun of the kids who don’t have those things. At a private school, these worries are eliminated and kids focus on what matters.
Whenever Caliyah and I are out in public, people tell me how nice and friendly she is. She is very outgoing and she is very in tune with her faith, even though our household is not very religious. I think the school has definitely shaped her behavior and compassion. The school is warm and friendly and the staff is caring, loving, and understanding.”
What are Caliyah’s interests?
“She loves science and experiments. She loves sports—track and field, soccer, swimming. She wants to continue basketball in high school. She just joined the school band last year but I got a note from the music teacher telling me and she is naturally talented. She would love to join a marching band in high school.”
What are your hopes for Caliyah’s future?
“I want her to continue her education at a Catholic high school. She got accepted into Cathedral [High School] so now we are waiting for financial assistance and scholarships. Caliyah loves school. She hasn’t missed a day of school since kindergarten. I want her to excel academically and go to a good university. She says she wants to be a psychiatrist or veterinarian. She wants to help people. She also wants to teach dance, she loves performing.”