Meet Emma from NVCA

April 29, 2024

At 71, most people do not envision raising their great grandchildren, but that is just what Claude is doing. This great grandfather has taken Emma, a third grader and Konner, a 6th grader and turned their life around. They are being raised by someone that loves them and believes in their bright future.
In 2017, Claude became aware the home environment Emma and Konnor were being raised in was not a good situation. The children were around drug usage; abuse and neglect were part of their daily lives. Both were nonverbal and were not potty trained. Claude took custody of them and with a village of support from his church and the school community at North Valley Christian Academy (NVCA), began to turn the lives of these two children into something positive. Konner was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum and Claude was able to get him into The Autism Academy where he is receiving services and thriving.

Emma started at NVCA in Kindergarten and the school experience has been positive for her in so many ways. Claude commented on how she was developmentally delayed before starting school, somewhat based on her home environment, to now going to be on the honor roll. Emma wants to be a teacher and attend Grand Canyon University when she gets older.

With the monumental task of raising great grandchildren, selecting the school environments that fit their needs, Emma at North Valley Christian School and Konner at Autism Academy and a limited income, paying tuition was out of the question. Through NVCA’s help and Arizona Leadership Foundation scholarships, Emma and Konner attend the schools that help them reach their full potential. Emma receives speech therapy and that coupled with the learning opportunities have made a huge impact on her and have shown how much a family can benefit from school choice through a scholarship. Claude could not thank the Arizona Leadership Foundation enough in his letter to us about how the scholarships have made a difference for his family.

Emma’ third grade teacher, Taylor Wright, had this to say about her:

“Emma is a sweet, caring student who is a blessing to have within the classroom. She is consistently a positive example to her peers; she comes into school each morning with a smile on her face and does her best on every task she is given. I am grateful that I have been able to watch Emma growing academically, emotionally, and spiritually in my classroom this year and I cannot wait to see what she does in the future!”

About NVCA:

North Valley Christian Academy (NVCA) is a nonprofit, private 501(c)(3) Christian school associated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). NVCA serves families from all faith backgrounds and students of all academic abilities.
Our mission, “to Develop Christ-centered students who Aspire to excellence and Impact communities for Him” is a driving force behind everything we do as a school and a mission. Our goal is to give students the tools they need to attend a college of choice or to be prepared for a vocation or military service when they graduate.

NVCA offers several sports in middle and high school as well as numerous extra-curricular activities for students in preschool through high school.
Visit NorthValleyCA.org to find out more about North Valley Christian Academy