For more than a decade, one Austin family held onto a single dream. They wanted their only daughter to learn in a place where faith and education grow side by side. Year after year, the dream stayed just out of reach. Then the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program changed everything.
Today, their daughter, whom we’ll call Anna, is beginning her freshman year at a Catholic high school and stepping toward a future she once thought impossible. Their story is proof of what families can accomplish with the right support.
The Opportunity: A dream deferred but not forgotten
Fourteen years ago, Anna’s father, Bernard, immigrated to Texas from Central America to study, and in that same year, Anna was born. Those early years tested them, but they built the foundation that carried the family forward.
While Bernard completed his Curricular Practical Training (CPT) at a Catholic school and his wife volunteered there, they enrolled Anna at the school when she was just three years old. She joined a community shaped by daily prayer, service and values mirroring her own family. For three years, the school felt like home.
When Bernard moved to a new job, the family lost the tuition discount that had made Catholic school possible. The cost was simply out of reach, and they had to enroll Anna in public school.
She never quite settled in. The environment didn’t fit her, and she often told her parents how much she missed the faith-filled classrooms she had loved. Each time, they made her a promise: when things change, you’ll go back.
But life kept testing that promise. The family navigated a long immigration process. Anna’s grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, and the family poured their resources into her care. In fourth grade, doctors diagnosed Anna with scoliosis, beginning years of braces, therapy and specialist visits.
Through all of it, Anna refused to give up. She earned a place in the National Honor Society. She ran for student council and won. She became a standout athlete, ranking top in her district in the triple jump and competing in long jump, the 100-meter and 200-meter races. She played volleyball, danced and volunteered at her church. Her spirit never dimmed.
And still, one quiet wish remained: Dad, I want to go back to a Catholic school.
The Solution: A program that answered years of prayer
Anna didn’t just hope; she prayed every single day, for three years, for a way back to a faith-based education. She knew Catholic school tuition was beyond their reach. So she prayed, and Bernard watched the news, followed every update and waited.
Then came the Texas Education Freedom Account program.
When the legislation passed, the news brought pure joy to their home. Bernard described it as “jubilation.” At last, their years of prayer had an answer.
The family gathered their documents and applied. When the approval came through, they were overwhelmed with gratitude. TEFA removed a barrier that stood in their way for more than a decade.
Could this kind of program truly change what’s possible for a hardworking family? For Anna, the answer was yes. What once felt impossible was now within reach.
The Impact: A future built on faith and purpose
Now with the school year underway, Anna is settling into life at a Catholic high school in Austin, learning alongside classmates and teachers who share her values. After getting an early start through the school’s summer programs, she and her family are embracing this new chapter with gratitude and pride.
This is only the beginning for Anna. She hopes to strengthen her studies, build friendships rooted in shared values and grow into a confident young leader. She wants to deepen her faith formation, expand her community service and take on leadership roles that let her lift others up.
Anna wants to become a pediatrician and care for children who don’t have the resources or opportunities that came her way. Inspired by Doctors Without Borders, she imagines a future spent giving back, offering hope to families who need it most, just as her own family once did.
“We are utmostly grateful to TEFA,” he says. “Texas gave me the opportunity to study here. It gave my wife the opportunity too. Now it’s giving our daughter her dream. There’s nothing short of us dedicating our lives to serving the community that made this possible.”
For this family, TEFA represents hope, opportunity and transformation. It’s the bridge between where Anna stood yesterday and the bright future she’s stepping into today.