“Education is an invisible gift, but it is a valuable one.”

Christine Jones has been writing scholarship application letters since she was ten. Growing up, finances could be tight. Her father ran his own trucking company, while her mother stayed home to raise Christine and her sister. But one thing her mother always made room for was tuition at her middle school, St. Isidore Catholic School.

“So I started writing. The spring of 8th grade, I sent letter after letter to donors and waited patiently as my last year at St. Isidore came to an end. And one of my letters happens to fall into the hands of Ms. Kazma, her parents, and the Kazma Foundation. 

"Thanks to their kindness and generosity, I would be continuing my catholic education at St. Francis High School.”

There, Christine found challenging academics, a community she loved, and opportunities that helped her grow. 

“Right now, I am about to enter my senior year at Loyola University Chicago. I am studying Early Childhood Special Education and have spent the last three years dedicating myself to being the best educator I can be. Education matters. A good, strong education matters.”

Christine knows that the gift can extend beyond one student.

Her grandparents immigrated to Chicago from Mexico City in the 1950s, encouraging each generation to move forward. That spirit continues with Christine, and even with her father, who says that if he ever won the lottery, he would create a scholarship like Ms. Kazma’s.

Someone chose to invest in Christine’s education. Now she is preparing to spend her life investing in the education of others.

That is what becomes possible when generosity keeps Catholic education within reach.