December Family Spotlight: Meet The Guerrero Family

December 17, 2020

Meet the Guerrero Family and hear about their story to find the right fit for their four sons in this heartwarming family spotlight.  The boys have been at Arizona Lutheran Academy in Phoenix since 2018.

From Michelle, Registrar and Admissions Coordinator at Arizona Lutheran Academy:

Janet Guerrero came to me during the summer of 2018 looking for a safe, Christian environment for her children. English was not her primary language and she worried about her communication skills. But she was on a quest after experiencing a family tragedy.  She wanted her children in an environment that was an extension of her home, her values, her morals and her faith. Janet’s oldest son finished his freshman year at the local public high school and it wasn’t a good fit. Her next son had finished 8th grade and she did not want him to attend the public high school. She met with me, shared their story, saw the Arizona Lutheran Academy campus and learned more about the culture at our school. She was convinced it was a good fit for their family and what she was looking for to help her sons but the cost was a huge concern. She was enrolling two sons at the time with two more approaching high school. She knew within two years she would have four sons at ALA at one time, freshman-senior. (Jesus class of 2021, Brandon class of 2022, Oscar class of 2023 and Luis class of 2024) The commitment to pay tuition was a stumbling block. She is a dedicated parent who understands responsibilities and didn’t take the tuition agreement lightly. We talked extensively about the tuition tax credit program. She met with me several times for help and to answer questions. She took a leap of faith, not knowing what to expect. Janet was diligent and she completed STO applications, she wrote narratives, she didn’t give up. God answered her prayers and scholarships came in. The dream and hope of private Christian education were a reality for all four boys to begin their journey at ALA. The boys met new friends and are kind, friendly and well-liked. They felt connected to teachers and classmates within a faith-based school environment. Jesus and Luis play basketball on the school team. The boys are very interested in music and participate in their church band playing bass guitar and drums.  Janet found a school that was a good fit!  This new reality wouldn’t be possible for the Guerrero family without the AZ Tuition Tax Credit Program and scholarships awarded from Arizona Leadership Foundation!

From Janet about receiving funding from the Arizona Leadership Foundation and how much her family has benefited from attending Arizona Lutheran Academy:

“I’m very thankful for the scholarship from the Arizona Leadership foundation because as a Low-Income family we are not able to provide private education for our kids.  My husband and I come from immigrant parents and we didn’t have the opportunity to attend college because the resources and the lack of information on how to get scholarships like the ones we have received from ALF.  I decided to participate in this Family Spotlight because it is very important to inform the community how to donate funds to scholarships so more families like ours can benefit and change their lives.  We are a big family of eight people.  I am a homemaker and my husband is a truckdriver without scholarships it would be impossible for us to provide our kids with a quality private education.  The boys have their eyes on various careers, Jesus wants to attend Universal Technical Institute, Brandon wants to be a police officer, Luis is interested in becoming an administrative services manager and Oscar wants to be an Engineer.  They would not have these opportunities if it wasn’t for the help form the Arizona Leadership Foundation and Arizona Lutheran Academy.”

About Connect at Arizona Lutheran Academy:

Connections are important. Connections help us feel like we belong, we are loved and we matter. Teens connect at Arizona Lutheran Academy, a Christian high school, serving grades 9-12, centrally located in Phoenix, Arizona. Students connect with teachers, classmates, directors, coaches, mentors and most importantly, their Savior Jesus. We offer a nationally accredited educational program as well as a nationally recognized fine arts program. Our athletes compete in the Arizona Interscholastic Association.