“I have two little boys. They are 10 and eight years old. They attend FACS,” said Ellie Edwards.
Her son Donlee is a rising fifth grader and Leyam is a rising third grader at First Assembly Church School, a private Christian school.
“As a single mom, I didn’t know how I was going to be able to help keep my kids in such a great school,” she recalled.
Parent choice was huge for Edwards who wanted to make sure her two sons would be able to attend a school with Christian values. But she didn’t know how she would be able to afford it.
“It’s a huge peace of mind knowing the scholarship is available to families,” she said. “It just makes it a lot easier for people like me.”
Dress for Success helps empower Memphis women
MOST stands for the Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust. It’s an organization that promotes access to great schools for all children in Memphis regardless of their Zip code and family income.
“MOST is all about school choice. We believe in public schools, private schools, charter schools, home schools. Whatever is the best fit for your child,” said Executive Director Abbey Cowens.
MOST feels income should not limit a parent’s choice when it comes to education.
Agape gets a big thank you for its ‘unconditional love’ for community
“Education is the backbone of our society. If we can make sure everybody gets the best education that fits their needs, then we’ll have a stronger society,” Cowens said.
MOST partners with over 50 private schools in Memphis. Though they don’t provide full tuition for families, they do offer need-based scholarships to help families lighten the financial load.
“We come in after the school has given financial aid and we bridge that gap between what the parents can pay and what it’s going to cost them,” said Cowens.
That is why our anonymous donor wanted to give MOST a check for $1,000. When you level the educational playing field, you’ll always score a perfect 100. A true community changer.
