School Community Embraces Family After Tragic Loss

School choice, available to underserved and marginalized children through an Arete scholarship, offers parents like Becky Elle the freedom to educate their children in an environment that best suits their unique gifts and learning needs. It also provides stability, relief, and safety amidst terrible loss.

"When my husband passed away unexpectedly in 2013, I didn't know what I was going to do," says Becky. "I was facing not just the grief and absence of my husband in our lives but a lot of fear. Over and over, I kept asking, 'Who's going to help me raise my kids?' because I knew I couldn't do it alone."

These concerns were answered, in part, by the administrators, teachers, and families at an Arete Scholars partner school. Nothing can replace a loving husband or fill the void of a present and nurturing father in a child's life. But, through individuals willing to draw near to the brokenhearted-a community that would eventually become like a family to the Elles-Becky and her children would not have to carry the burdens of grief, fear, and loneliness by themselves.

After her husband's sudden passing, one of Becky's most pressing questions was how to educate her four children, ages twelve, eleven, nine, and six. Exploring the options available to her as a single mother led her to Dominion Christian School, a private college preparatory school in Marietta, Georgia.

"From the very first interview, everything felt like home," she says. "It was like a family. It was just a matter of whether it could work for us financially. I knew I wanted my kids to attend Dominion, but I wasn't working and couldn't afford the tuition. My husband did not have life insurance, so we were living on death benefits and the charity of others at that time."

However, Becky's oldest two boys were already Arete scholarship recipients at their previous school. She knew exactly where to turn for the tuition assistance necessary to make Dominion Christian School an educational possibility for her children.

Once they were enrolled, Becky discovered Dominion to be much more than a school. It was a place where her children experienced life and community-where they felt welcomed, made friends, and were loved and cared for. More than anything, Dominion was a setting that helped re-establish a sense of normalcy for the entire Elle family.

"My boys and daughter have had wonderful mentors at Dominion," Becky says. "The teachers believed in them and refused to let them fail. I have four kids, each at a different academic level. One struggled more than the others, but everyone at Dominion rallied behind him and would not let him fail."

In addition to the rigorous academic instruction provided through Dominion's college preparatory curriculum, the school remains resolute in preparing kids for the next steps in their educational and career journeys and the profound challenges that life can throw at them.

"Not only did they care about my kids' education and academics, but they also cared about their spiritual and emotional lives," Becky shares. "They always pushed them toward their strengths and where they saw them thriving."

The community at Dominion didn't just support her kids; they also rallied around Becky. She made fast friends through a network of advocates who had her back, looked out for the whole family, and ensured they had everything they could need.

"I never felt like I was alone," she says. "That's what I mean when I say they are like family."

Thanks to Arete Scholars, the Elle children began to flourish as they were welcomed into the Dominion family-a community of love and support during their most trying season of life.

"As a widow and a single mom, sending them to Dominion, where my heart was at peace, was such a blessing," she says. "I knew they were not just getting a good education, but we quickly found a home there."

Becky admits that a simple 'thank you' is not enough to express her and her children's appreciation for this life-changing opportunity.

"What Arete gave my family was a gift," she says. "Being able to afford to send all my kids to Dominion meant I wouldn't have to raise them alone. That had been my biggest fear after becoming a young widow."

"I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people who rallied together to make this happen for my children," she adds. "We've all felt the weight of the generosity and the importance of what Arete Scholars has offered. It has been such a blessing to us."

Arete Scholars offered hope and a future for the Elle children. The hope that the painful circumstances of losing their father at a young age would not be the determining factor in the outcomes of their lives. Dominion Christian School, the education provided, and the safe, nurturing, home-like environment would prepare the Elle children for a bright future that sees them as thriving young adults in their community and the marketplace.

"Each of my kids is an extension of everybody who has poured into them throughout their childhood," Becky says. "It's like a ripple effect; they're successful, productive, hard workers, great speakers, leaders, and it is all because of the people placed in their lives and who invested in their well-being."

"My greatest joy now is that I get to sit back and watch them be these incredible adults," she adds.

Benjamin, Becky's oldest son, works as a software engineer at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Atlanta. He also serves in ministry, playing music for the youth ministry at their church. Isaac, the second oldest, is a warehouse manager with a local company based in Atlanta, which is an excellent opportunity for him to climb the ranks and, potentially, become part owner someday. Aaron, the third son, is in his third year at Kennesaw State, working towards a computer engineering degree. And Abby, Becky's youngest, is a senior at Dominion Christian School. After graduation, she plans to attend Berry College and hopes to become a middle school English teacher.

Today, each of the Elle children is following their unique path in life. It's the path set out for them, thanks, in large part, to the education, experiences, and opportunities they received while attending Dominion Christian School. And Becky is a proud mom as she sees them reaching their greatest, God-given potential.

"I'm so overwhelmed at the goodness of all the people who have come into their lives to influence who they've become," she shares. "All of the investment-the love, care, and support-has brought them to this moment."

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