Scholarship Fundraising for Judah

Judah and his family are in a unique situation and I'm hoping that we can come together to provide a temporary reprieve for his parents as they look into longer term solutions. Judah is a 7th grader attending a private school for specially gifted children, not specifically by choice but out of necessity for his mental and physical well-being. Judah is incredibly gifted (I'm not just saying that out of love) - he is among 1% of the population that scores as high as he did on his IQ test. Prior to attending this private school, Judah was in public school and visibly suffering. He was bored, depressed, and didn't understand why he didn't fit in with the other students. Now, at his new school, he is among likeminded kids that spend their days talking about possible inventions to fix world problems, compare rocket science notes, and dream of unique architecture designs while still playing Minecraft, watching funny YouTube videos and telling jokes like any other teenage boy. Although Judah is incredibly smart and has achieved many awards (from placing in nationwide math, poetry and spelling competitions to winning school competitions in art and robotics), he doesn't ever think he is better than anyone else nor does he realize just how different he is from other boys his age. He is incredibly humble, admires the work of other students far more than his own, and is committed to working hard and learning every day to be the best he can be.

 

Why am I telling you this? Because it is visibly evident that Judah is so much more successful in this private school setting. He is challenged, understood, and growing more every day. With private school education, however, comes private school tuition. The Presleys can't imagine taking Judah out of this school, yet the tuition expenses alone are proving to be more than is feasible to manage. Each month, they pay $2,200 in tuition fees on top of pulling $300 out to save for insurance and registration fees that they are charged at the beginning of each year. $2,500 a month doesn't even take into consideration the maneuvering it takes to get him to school every day. His school is 45 minutes away from their house, which any Californian knows is also a chunk of gas. Not to mention, both parents are working (and working HARD to provide for Judah and his sisters!) which means that they also have to coordinate with someone to take Judah to school. Hello, childcare fees! After paying for tuition, rent, and childcare what little they have left is going towards other bills, groceries, and gas. Judah also has two younger siblings and the Presleys would never want the girls to feel like they come second to Judah's needs and/or interests. Therefore, they are also enrolled in what extracurricular activities they are interested in - specifically dance, music and gymnastics. Long story short, they cannot continue to make these payments while also providing for their family, and they need our help. 

 

Judah started attending private school in 2nd grade and has continued through the years. The tuition and complications of getting him to and from school have always been a great challenge for the Presleys, yet they have been determined to make it work for their family because of how important it is. The fact that this GoFundMe is just now being put into the world at the beginning of his 7th grade year rather than right away speaks volumes to the Presley family tenacity, determination and commitment to their children without burdening others. I have seen Angela and Jerry sacrifice so much of their own well-being, desires, and goals to make sure their children have not only what they need, but also live lives that they truly enjoy. They sacrifice, save, and plan so that each of their children - not just Judah - are able to participate in sports, scouts, dance, music lessons, go to summer camps and go on memorable vacations and/or staycations. None of these things, by any means, are lavish or extravagant but it's just another example of how committed these parents are to stimulating and providing for their kids while making memories with them.

 

This GoFundMe isn't meant to cover the remainder of Judah's tuition, however it's meant to create some financial relief as they move forward. These funds will be used to pay Judah's monthly tuition that right now the family is barely able to pay on top of daily and weekly necessities such as groceries and gas. If you've ever met the Presleys, even for a few minutes, you know the kind of genuine humans they are. You know that they immediately drop everything for someone in need - even if they don't know you. They're generous, caring, amazing humans and it's no wonder that they have raised gifted children that do the same. They offer their time, money and resources to those in need even in the most inconvenient of times and I think it's only fair that we stop and do the same for them.

 

So, I hope you'll join me in helping raise funds for the next few years of Judah's education. Let's face it, in the long run it will likely benefit us all as he becomes the person that will probably solve world hunger, invent a life saving invention, or cure some disease.