Mary Curtis

Mary Curtis is a single, working mother in Chicago who is raising her three children plus her niece. Her niece attends the Academy of St. Benedict the African, thanks to an Invest in Kids scholarship Curtis obtained through Empower Illinois. She is disappointed Invest in Kids might end at the close of 2023, unless state lawmakers rescue it.

“I learned about the scholarship through St. Benedict. I’ve had two kids who were scholarship recipients. They’ve always been at Catholic schools.”

“I’m a single mother and I have guardianship over my niece. I’ve had her since she was a baby. She now goes seven days a week, but I don’t get anything to help her as far as state funding. I’m just the guardian over her so the scholarship helps in that way.”

“Ending the program would hurt a lot. I really wouldn’t know if she would be able to stay in school. It’d be close as far as financing.”

“I want to keep them there. I love the school. My kids love the school and they like being there and they offer so much as far as small classrooms and counseling. I want to keep them there. But without the scholarships, I don’t know how to do that.”

“I feel like we’ll lose a lot of good parents and a lot of good students that may not be capable of going to schools with larger classrooms after having been in smaller classrooms with counselors. That could all change based off this law.”

“As a single mother and a single parent, and then having my niece, too, it’s a game-changer as far as financials go. They’re attending the only Catholic school on the South Side of Chicago and to me that’s historical. I wouldn’t want to see that gone.”

“I want people to look past the numbers, look at the advocacy of parents and the benefits of a child being in Catholic schooling. Having counselors plays a big role in my community of Englewood, especially. I want them to understand that moving those kids may force many out of these Catholic schools and away from these resources.”

Mary Curtis
Working mom
Chicago, Illinois