For Jettanna Wiley, the mother of Christina Wiley, a fifth grade student at St. Peter’s School in Waldorf, Maryland’s Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) scholarship has allowed her dreams for her daughter’s education to come true, she said.
“If it wasn’t for BOOST, my dreams of my daughter being able to attend the school that helps her thrive and get the best education from wouldn’t be a reality,” Wiley said.
As the Maryland General Assembly came to an early close due to coronavirus precautions, state legislators voted to allocate $7.5 million in funds for the BOOST scholarship program, which allows for students from low-income households to attend the school of their family’s choice. This decision funds the program at the same level as it was during the 2019-20 school year.
The scholarship program helps more than 700 students attend nearly 50 Maryland Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Washington, and for many families, this scholarship provides parents with a school choice for their children that may be impossible without the BOOST program.
“I think BOOST is important for Maryland families because it enables us to give our children an education at an affordable rate,” Wiley said. “When your child attends a private institution, they don’t understand that a lot of students that attend are there due to some type of financial aid. When BOOST came along, it was incredibly rewarding.”
Christina is an honors student at St. Peter’s School, and her mother said that if it wasn’t for the BOOST scholarship, “she wouldn’t be able to continue.”
“She’s just been able to grow,” Wiley said. “And that extra help that she (Christina) is able to get, also helps her help her twin brothers who have developmental delays. So it’s not just rewarding to her, but to our whole family.”
Wiley said her family heard about the BOOST scholarship program through the principal at St. Peter’s School, J.R. West, for whom they are extremely grateful.
“He is extremely phenomenal for giving us the guidance to apply to the program,” Wiley said. “He works overboard to make sure our kids are able to receive an outstanding education.”
In the fifth grade, Christina said her favorite parts of school are the academics, “mostly in reading and English.”
“But they have a really hands-on based curriculum that guides you through,” she said. “My teachers are really lovely people.”
Christina is also in the band, where she plays the flute. In the future, she hopes to attend Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, and someday attend a Catholic college, studying the fine arts or engineering.
Wiley has also spent her time lobbying for the BOOST program. She specifically met with Maryland Delegate Michael Jackson with other BOOST recipient families to share their stories about how important the program is to them and their communities.
“BOOST enables a dream of having a cost-affordable option for (Christina) to continue her education and her studies,” Wiley said. “I do my part as her parent in helping support the program, but she definitely does her part in being a well-rounded student.”
