Meet Anthony from Yuma Christian Academy

May 28, 2021

Meet Anthony an Eighth Grader at Yuma Christian Academy. He is completing his second year at the school with an Arizona Leadership Foundation Scholarship.

Anthony had been in the foster care system for several years and then was placed with Kim and Mark when he was 11 years old and they adopted him. He came from a background of neglect and abuse. Because of this he was distrustful, confused and extremely angry according to his adopted mom, Kim. She continues to explain, “As we were working and living through these issues, we discovered that the school system while cooperative for the most part, it just wasn’t the right fit for Anthony.”

“Anthony had been in so many situations at home and different schools where he was let down that he wasn’t able to bond with the people around him. Starting out in a whole new setting was scary for him and there was a little struggle when his guard started to come down and he tested trusting the staff and students at Yuma Christian Academy (YCA),” according to Kim.

Anthony had this to say about why he likes being a student at Yuma Christian Academy, “I am adopted. I was having a hard time in school and daily life. The teachers at YCA were able to help me and I started to understand my work and other things in life better. This helped me to be able to be calmer at school and home.”

Anthony’s favorite subject in school is Social Studies. In his free time, he likes to swim, study electric circuitry and play with Legos and video games. He would like to go to school to study electrical engineering or become an electrician when he grows up.

The staff at YCA had this to say about Anthony and how he has grown since being at their school.

When Anthony came to YCA, he tested well below his grade level. He was also angry and unsure of how to handle himself in traditional settings because he had trouble fitting in and keeping up. He has since, with the extra support of our teachers, caught up completely to grade level and is always on either the A or B Honor Roll. We have a special system that allows students to catch up at their pace so there is less anxiety and shame at having learning gaps. He has told his mom that he feels safe here and for the first time in his life takes pride in his work.

Because YCA is so culturally diverse, Anthony also has the benefit of being among other students who share his ethnicity as well as other foster and adopted children. This is a prime example of how incredibly beneficial school choice is and funding for it. According to his mom they could not have afforded to send Anthony to a private school. Yet, in public school, there was little attention to his unique needs or extra care to catch up a child who had, through no fault of his own, had significant family issues that kept him from staying at pace with his peers. He just fell further and further behind but now has absolutely blossomed and works really hard to continue to excel because he loves the feeling of personal achievement. Thanks to school choice, Anthony had the option to really thrive for the first time in his life.

About Yuma Christian Academy:
Yuma Christian Academy (YCA) has been providing specialized Christian education in Yuma, AZ, for almost 50 years, from Preschool to 12th grade. AT YCA every child is diagnosed individually and placed on their own educational trajectory. Our unique curriculum system specializes in small student-to-teacher ratios, gap and mastery-based learning, and character development. And, it’s fun!

We believe that schools should educate students to value lifelong and active learning, diversity and equity, community contribution, and the integration of kindness into every activity, all based upon the respect for Biblical values. Although our students come from all types of backgrounds and diverse family systems, we invite them to come as they are and become who they want to be, in our safe, welcoming and exciting YCA family of students.