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Donor Testimonials

Scholarship sponsors Fran and Alicia Van Kirk raised their three grown children in the Philadelphia suburbs, less than 15 miles from the city line. "It is only a few miles away, but a world apart in terms of opportunity,” says Fran. “Hopefully through scholarships we can help bridge the gap.” But Fran and Alicia do much more than just support scholarships. They both participate actively at Our Mother of Sorrows and St. Ignatius Schools, in West Philadelphia.

Alicia is an early childhood teacher by training and works as an aide to the kindergarten teacher, helping students gain more learning time. "We really wanted our kids to understand that we can share what we have and make life better for someone else," says Alicia. Alicia has introduced numerous friends to these wonderful schools, many of whom have followed her lead and engage in a rich variety of teaching activities with the students including a great books program designed to improve reading skills, a math enrichment program and a computer skills program.

Fran participates on the advisory board at the schools and actively fundraises for student scholarships. "When we came to the school," says Fran, "we were moved by the backgrounds of so many of these kids. What they experience here is nothing less than transformative. If we can help them get a good education in an environment where teachers care about and believe in them, then there is not better choice for us.” .

Sr. Owen Patricia Bonner, principal of both schools, has seen first-hand the difference that support like the Van Kirk’s can make. "All kids have talents," she says, "but children from disadvantaged backgrounds to often don’t get the opportunity to discover what their talents are. Support from great people like Fran and Alicia make all the difference to these students.”