Help Bobby get to Maur Hill - Mount Academy

Dear Friends and Family,

Our son, Bobby Ellis (who now goes by Ty) will be attending Maur Hill-Mount Academy Boarding School in Atchison, Kansas. Bobby is very bright and has been asking for three years to attend a boarding school with a college preparatory curriculum. He has not been academically challenged in any prior schools he attended. He put a lot of thought into this, but being a 14-year-old kiddo, he did not think about the cost of this goal. He will be starting at Maur Hill in August 2021. Maur Hill offered a great scholarship to make the tuition more affordable for us, and we are so very grateful; however the additional costs associated with being away at boarding school is a lot. We are looking to raise at least $2000 to help defray the cost of travel, dormitory and technology supplies.

Here is the essay Ty wrote as part of his admissions packet:

Have you ever felt like you were walking down an endless tunnel, when you realize you must change direction in order to reach your goals to be the best you? For the past two years, I have been attending a private school in Vermont. It’s an excellent school, but it is not right for me. I have learned a lot about myself during these last two years, and I have decided I need a school that challenges me in different ways. I need to be academically challenged. I need structure in the classroom, and I need self-discipline. I also need a school that offers competitive sports such as cross country, swimming, and track and field.

Being academically challenged is important to me because when I am not challenged enough, I get bored. For me, boredom means becoming fidgety, talkative, and unfocused. These are things that are not present when I am challenged and engaged. Having a structured academic learning environment will allow me to grow intellectually, focus, and demonstrate my natural leadership ability.

In the same way that a structured classroom will help support my academics, a consistent routine outside the classroom will help me develop self-discipline, organization, confidence, and self-esteem. When things become chaotic, I tend to become negative; however, when things are organized, structured, scheduled, and consistent, I approach things with a positive attitude. It is this attitude that I need in order to accomplish my goals.

It is important to me that I am involved in extracurricular activities and competitive sports. My last school offered “exploratories” and Extended Learning Opportunities as part of the curriculum - there were no competitive sports or extracurricular activities available. I know that having extracurricular group activities, including faith-based activities, and sports to participate in will allow me to gain social skills, life skills, and collaboration skills.

Attending Maur Hill - Mount Academy will allow me to grow in so many ways. Being away from home for school will teach me self-discipline, structure, leadership skills, time management, and life skills, which will help me develop self-confidence and appropriate independence.