Meet Kaden from New Way Academy
May 14, 2025
Meet Kaden and his mom, Nicole. Kaden is in his first year at New Way Academy. Read their story from Nicole’s perspective and see why school choice and scholarship funding from the Arizona Leadership Foundation is making a difference in their lives.
From Nicole:
I am a single mother and the sole provider for Kaden and his education. I run an in-home childcare from my home and as fulfilling as a job it is, it can lead to financial instability with children coming in and out of daycare.
School hasn’t always been easy for Kaden. When he was three, he started at a developmental preschool, the staff were amazing and helped him accomplish so much. However, when he started kindergarten the year COVID hit learning online set him off track. He completed first grade online and returned in person his second-grade year.
Second grade was rough for him. Kaden started back at his previous school, where he was bullied relentlessly. Kaden now suffers from PTSD from that situation. We started looking at new schools for him for third grade, we found a micro school and thought that it would be a better fit. When he started there, we felt a lot better, and we could finally breathe. Kaden was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, executive dysfunction, and ADHD. This school was for kids who had different neurodiversity’s. The problem with it being a microschool was getting the funding to keep it running. Kaden stayed there through fourth grade. We started the journey to find a new school again and we were lucky to find New Way Academy. This school has changed Kaden’s view on school. He is now excited to wake up and go to school, he doesn’t like missing a day. The school is easy to navigate, and all the staff are amazing and will help when asked. Kaden has never been happier at a school, and we are very grateful to all the staff. They are all truly amazing.
We chose this school because we felt they would be able to care for Kaden educationally and mental health wise. We loved the sense of community they foster and the support they offer the students. Kaden has high needs when it comes to reading intervention and they were able to offer that as well as a safe place for him.
Thanks to help from ALF scholarship, I can focus more on Kaden, and less on stressing out how to afford his education and still make ends meet. As a single mom, every little bit helps and means the world to both Kaden and me.
Kaden does Karate and recently earned his black belt. He is in the leadership classes and working towards his 2nd degree black belt and wants to become an instructor. He also loves to play video games, swim and spend time with friends and family. He loves everything and anything Disney – especially Star Wars. When he grows up, he wants to be a video game designer.
Kaden had this to say when asked about why he loves New Way Academy, “The people, activities, and classes! The teachers make me feel safe and special. I also really like the playground. When I’m older I’ll get to do the wood working class and go on overnight field trips and I can’t wait for that!”
Kaden’s reading teacher, Valissa Maas, had this to say about him, “Kaden is such a pleasure to teach. His kindness and creativity shine through in his interactions with peers, making him a wonderful friend. He exemplifies New Way’s ideals of being responsible, respectful, and always doing his best. We are lucky to have him!”
About New Way Academy:
New Way Academy is a private, non-profit school for students K-12 with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, executive functioning disorders, and speech or language impairments.
Since 1968, New Way has been teaching children to embrace their learning challenges in order to thrive, using a student-centric approach to empower and prepare them for life beyond its doors. New Way offers a full-school experience with small class sizes to best meet students’ unique needs, robust social opportunities, and extracurricular activities including performing arts and athletics. Reading, speech, and occupational therapies are integrated into students’ daily schedules. Students at New Way graduate as confident and capable learners, ready for college or career. Visit newwayacademy.org to learn more.
