Sabrina Bourque

My husband and I have always been strong supporters of public education. Our son attended Preschool and PreK in two different states and then started kindergarten in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, his kindergarten year became a nightmare for our family. Although he was academically gifted, already reading chapter books and doing first grade math, he had a speech delay at that time. His teacher told us that while she wanted to support him, he was difficult to understand nor did she have the time to wait for him to get his words out. While we appreciated the importance of his IEP for speech, it became clear that this was the school’s only focus. His academic strengths were overlooked, and he was constantly made to feel inadequate. Because of his size, speech, and how far ahead he was academically, he became a target for bullying. He came home in tears nearly every day. When I reached out to the school for support, I felt I was told only what I wanted to hear since no changes were ever made. The final straw came when my five year old told me he hated school and that it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. His love for math was dwindling and he seemed very unlike himself that year. The following year, thanks to the support of both the EFA and ETC, we enrolled him in a small private school. Something that would not have been possible for us financially if we hadn't received both. It has been life changing for our family. They meet him exactly where he is at academically. He is in 3rd grade but working a full grade level ahead, and is already learning fifth grade math, solving for X and doing more complex order of operation at only 8 years old! His NH test scores for every subject are much higher than state averages and his math is in the 98th percentile. He has made real friends, feels supported, and truly loves his school. He is genuinely sad when summer break begins because he misses being there so much. This program has truly saved my son’s view on school and learning. We could not have made this possible without this help. We are a single-income household. My husband works overtime so I can stay home with our youngest and be able to support our children where needed.  This opportunity has given our son not just an education, but a future he looks forward to. I will forever be grateful for what the EFA and the ETC has done for our family. If our son did not receive the ETC scholarship solely because he also receives the EFA he would not have been able to receive the education that he deserves.