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A year ago, Catelinn McElroy was in trouble. Between poor school attendance and failing grades, her mother, Kat, thought Catelinn was close to dropping out.

Today, after her first year at Christ the King School in Guilderland, Catelinn is now a community service volunteer, a singer in school concerts and, most importantly, a member of the honor roll.

"This school has turned me around," said Catelinn. "They took time to help me and they don't stop helping."

Catelinn had always struggled in school. Needing extra help but receiving none at previous schools, she became unmotivated and unsure of herself. Though she had potential, she needed someone to push her in the right direction.

When Ms. McElroy began looking into schools for her daughter, she knew she needed to find a place where Catelinn could receive the attention and support she needed.

She spoke with many Catholic and public schools that couldn't help - until Christ the King School decided to take Catelinn on as an eighth-grader.

Ms. McElroy believes the dedication of the school's teachers and principal, Judith Smith, brought about the change in her daughter.

"They saw something good inside of her. They said 'yes' when others said 'no.' They told her, 'You have it in you'" to succeed.

Ms. Smith explained that, because one year is not enough time to get to know a student and really improve her academics, Christ the King usually doesn't accept students for only eighth grade - especially those who have had difficulty before.

But when she met met Catelinn, something told the principal to give her a chance.

Catelinn's teachers pushed her to participate and reached out to her on a personal level. While Ms. McElroy said students "can get lost in schools," she said "there was no losing Catelinn in this crowd" because of the smaller number of students.

Another advantage Christ the King offered was the Catholic atmosphere. Because of this, Catelinn explained, she was able to grow spiritually and receive extra support from peers who understand their call as Christians to lift each other up.

Ms. Smith attributes much of Catelinn's success to Ms. McElroy's encouragement. The principal said it can be hard for parents to pay for school rather than accept a free public education for their children.

Ms. McElroy told The Evangelist that if she had found out sooner about the kind of education offered at Catholic schools, she would have paid any sum to see the remarkable change in her daughter.

In the end, teachers and her mother credit Catelinn for her achievements. With support and the message that she must be willing to do her end of the job, she began to believe in her abilities.

Catelinn said: "It makes me want to do better in life and wonder what I'm going to be when I get older."

Teacher Patti Smicinski said that "it's been amazing to watch [Catelinn] come in so unsure of herself and now be so confident. You can give us the credit, but if she hadn't wanted to change, this never would've happened."

(06/10/10)[[In-content Ad]]

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