Ashley Elliott has set her eyes on a future in education reform, and her background says a lot about why she’s decided to head in that direction. Now, she attends the University of Central Florida, studying history. But her path to college was not an easy one. 

Growing up in Lakeland, FL, she came from a family of 4. Her Grandmother (lovingly referred to as “mom”) adopted her along with her brother and her cousin (who was also raising a child of her own) after their parents’ continued struggle with drug abuse.

Would you describe how having the chance to choose your school affected you?

I know what it is like to lose every bit of passion for learning. When I was in middle school, I experienced issues at home that affected my school life. The two biggest factors affecting schoolwork were our finances and bullying. We could not afford the technology required to pass our classes. And without a car, it took two city buses to get to the library with the access we needed. I almost failed the 8th grade and had to switch schools. 

The next school I attended was an alternative school, a school was full of kids just like me, abandoned, hurt, and most of all looking for guidance. Unfortunately, this school only had a few teachers who were capable of helping us. Many teachers told students they were a lost cause. I remember a specific moment when a teacher said something racist to a black student and then told us we were all going to be unsuccessful. That kid got up and beat her up. Teachers there had it tough, but it was no excuse for how some of them treated us. Some teachers would put an assignment on the board, and then sit down for the next two hours. I had teachers scream at me. Other kids had it much worse. 

Still, it was here that I met a teacher that saved my life. Jennifer Perez was my English Teacher, but also my mentor and a caregiver. She had faith in me, guided me, and helped me improve my grades. With her guidance, I had a turning point. I didn’t get into fights, and I actually began to try again. 

Then, Mrs. Perez told me she and the principal would be transferring to a different school. I was devastated and afraid of being left behind. But Mrs. Perez surprised me and asked me to come with her to a new school. It was over that summer that we filled out the paperwork to apply for the Step Up For Students Scholarship. The following fall I attended Victory Christian Academy. 

Wow! So, how did your experience at Victory compare to your previous schools?

Victory changed everything for me. I moved from Ds and Fs to As, Bs, and Cs in the first semester. By the second semester, I was an A/B student. I participated in my first sport and found my passion for history. 

Victory was like stepping into a completely different community of care. The teachers made it feel like a family. Nearly every teacher I encountered there had a sincere passion for their subject and for their students. They made time for us individually during class time or even before or after school. Some of the teachers fed me, clothed me, took me to my track meets, and took me to and from school. The teachers even helped my brother who went to a different school by helping him complete remedial work. The teachers at Victory cared and the administration was involved in every student's life to help them succeed. On top of that, the classroom sizes were smaller, and it made for an easier work environment. 

At Victory, there was mutual respect between the teachers and students, and I think that is the most important aspect of a teacher-student relationship. Students could joke with the teachers, learn from them, debate them openly, come to them when they had issues at home, and even eat lunch with them if they didn't want to go to the cafeteria. Not to mention that if a teacher was bad at their job or mean to students, the administration would listen to us and remove them from that position. I felt like it was the first place I could actually learn, and it was at Victory that I started to believe in myself again.

In 2016, I graduated with honors, but only three years prior I had wondered if I would even pass the 9th grade. Recently, I finished my 3rd year of college, and I attribute that fact to being able to attend a school that was right for me. I cannot imagine what would have happened to me otherwise. Statistics suggest that a person from my background would not have graduated. In fact, I’m more likely to be on drugs or dead. Having the opportunity to choose my school despite my income or my zip-code changed the trajectory of my life. I just want that for other kids too.

So, thinking back on your experience, do you believe school choice scholarships can solve issues for low-income communities?

Yes! My mother valued education because she understood that quality education could change everything. There was something my mother always told me growing up. “Ashley, don’t you ever sacrifice your education for anything! I want to live just long enough to see you three kids walk across that stage because then I will know that you will be okay when I am gone.” 

To her and to me a good education could stop our cycle of poverty. It could help me get a job, and most of all, it meant I did not have to suffer as she did. To this day, those in high poverty communities are sent to schools that are failing, just like I would have been if it had not been for school choice. School choice opportunities in high poverty neighborhoods can change 2 important things for kids like me - 1) the outcomes of our lives and 2) the economic landscape of poor neighborhoods for generations to come.

What else do you want to share with us that we haven’t mentioned?

“Your circumstance does not define you. You define your circumstance.”

I realized that I told myself that it was okay if I failed or quit because I had submitted to my financial and home circumstances. I had given up. Mrs. Perez lifted me out of that mindset and pushed me to define my own circumstance. Yes, I was a poor, bullied, and broken girl but that would not define me. For many, I know you feel powerless to change your situation. But how you think about yourself is not out of your control. 

Just because you are poor does not mean you are not worthy. Just because you failed does not mean you are not smart. Just because you were abandoned does not mean you are not loved. And Just because you are hurting now does not mean it won’t get better. To those struggling, I hope you can learn to believe in yourself as I have. 

Thank you, Ashley, for your words, and Thank you, Step For Students! What a powerful story as we reflect on graduation season this Spring.