The Manzano Family
Las Vegas, NV
In May 2024, Julia Manzano graduated as valedictorian from Mountain View Christian School, marking the end of her high school years and signaling the start of her journey into adulthood and future endeavors. Today, she is continuing her education at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a goal to pursue a career in the medical field. However, looking back, she acknowledges that her journey may have looked much different if scholarships from the AAA Scholarship Foundation (AAA) had not given her and her younger siblings the educational opportunities they desperately needed.
Julia is the oldest daughter of Alicia Manzano and Cesar Manzano-Vasquez, with younger siblings Estela, Cesar and Avner completing their family of six. For Alicia, who immigrated from Mexico 22 years ago, ensuring her children are equipped with the skills they need to lead successful futures has always been a top priority. However, as Julia progressed through elementary school and reached the 6th grade, it became clear that the public schools in their area were not meeting her needs.
“I felt lost at school, both academically and socially,” recalls Julia. “I struggled to keep up in my classes and it was hard to make friends in that environment.”
Worried that Julia would fall further behind, Alicia searched for alternatives in their area – including private school – but soon realized that affording tuition would be next to impossible for the single-income family. As if timing was on their side, Alicia stumbled across a flyer about the availability of AAA Scholarships in Nevada and filled out an application, hoping that Julia and her other children would be given access to attend a school that could better meet their needs. Hope turned into joy when the family’s application was approved, enabling Julia and her younger siblings to attend Mountain View Christian School (MVCS), a school that has helped each of the Manzano children on their individual educational journeys.
For Julia, everything changed once she made the transition from her old school to MVCS. “With teachers who supported me and a community that encouraged me, I was able to excel in my studies,” she says.
No longer feeling lost in school, Julia’s confidence grew as she made her way through middle and high school, making academic strides and becoming involved in the school’s athletic programs and student council. Her hard work paid off as she was named valedictorian of her senior class. Since graduating from MVCS last year, Julia has continued that momentum as she works towards her college degree and eyes a career in the medical field.
Estela, the second oldest of the Manzano children, has enjoyed her own success at MVCS. “Before receiving the scholarship, I was struggling in school, especially with math,” recalls Estela. “But the teachers at Mountain View were so patient and helped talk me through the things I was struggling with and it finally started to click.” Now finishing up her 10th grade year, Estela has developed a love for English and dreams of becoming an author one day. She also participates in the school’s sports programs, including volleyball, softball and basketball, is a member of the student council, and has even earned an award from the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS).
For the two youngest siblings, Cesar (7th) and Avner (1st), Mountain View has allowed them to get a head start on their education.
“Although Cesar only attended the public school in kindergarten, the experience was not pleasant, mainly because we were concerned for his safety after a couple of incidents that happened in school,” explains Alicia. “In addition to providing a high level of education, Mountain View has given us peace of mind knowing that our children are in a safe environment.”
As Alicia celebrates the progress her children have made at MVCS, she realizes how different the outcome could have been without the help from the scholarship program. “AAA Scholarships have given my children so many opportunities,” she says. “The chance to overcome struggles and graduate. The chance to learn in a safe environment. The chance to dream about their future and take steps to accomplish their goals. To the donors that continue to make these kinds of opportunities accessible for so many families like mine, please know how grateful we are!”
About AAA Scholarship Foundation
AAA Scholarship Foundation promotes the advancement of education by administering educational choice programs. The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. More than 80 percent of these children are initially awarded AAA scholarships while living in households with annual incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Many are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they first receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and are concerned about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their children and will reverse inadequate learning, social patterns and potential lifelong negative impacts. They wish to change their children’s learning environment, acquaintances, and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.
AAA Scholarships are funded in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada by companies that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations approved to administer these legislatively authorized tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information, or to learn how your company can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri @ aaascholarships.org or 888-707-2465 ext. 730.