What Educational Choice Has Done For Me

by Carly Carter, 2025 St. Ursula Academy Graduate (Toledo, Ohio)

My name is Carly Carter. I attend high school at St. Ursula Academy. Education has had a huge impact on my life, and I honestly don’t know where I would be without it. I went to a Toledo Public School for grade school, from kindergarten through sixth grade. Then, I went to Toledo School for the Arts in seventh grade. In eighth grade, COVID hit, and I was homeschooled. I did not like homeschool because I felt like I wasn’t learning anything. I really didn’t learn anything that year, which set me up for a really hard year at St. Ursula.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was blessed to even be accepted into St. Ursula because, during my grade school years, I did not care enough. I didn’t put in any effort at all because I had nobody pushing me. My parents couldn’t care less about my grades, so it really didn’t help. I remember feeling very low about myself and dumbed-down. I despised feeling this way, so I knew I needed to go to a school that would push me to be my best self.

Luckily, I was able to shadow and take a placement test for SUA. I was very doubtful of myself because I literally hadn’t taken a test in over a year due to homeschooling. I wouldn’t even call it homeschooling because I don’t think I learned a single thing that year. I was busy teaching my six-year-old brother while my mom was off at work because I thought his academics were more important than mine at the time. I ultimately just didn’t do any work while I was homeschooled because most of the time I was teaching myself. I am glad I got to learn how to use that skill because I ended up using it a lot here at SUA.

I found out I passed the placement test, and I was at a loss for words. I didn’t think I could do it! There was a slight problem: my mother could not afford the tuition payment. Luckily, we had EdChoice to rely on, which I am beyond thankful for. When I found out I was going to St. Ursula, I was so happy that I would tell every single person I knew. It was a very big accomplishment of mine.

When I started my freshman year, I was put in classes that were very different from what I was used to, especially coming from homeschooling. It was a humbling experience for me. For some reason, I really thought it would be a breeze, but all of the material I was learning I had never seen in my life. I struggled a lot, but I refused to give up. I wanted to truly be my best self.

I did as best as I could every year I have been here. I have had to teach myself so many new things, but I think that is what made me the strongest. I cannot even imagine where I would be today without the education I got at this school. I can truly see how much I have grown in all areas of my life. I realized that I needed something pushing me to be my best self, because I don’t even know what I am capable of doing so. If I didn’t attend St. Ursula, I genuinely don’t think I’d even have the opportunity to go to college. I probably would have given up on school, maybe even dropped out. I would’ve ended up at Bowsher, which isn’t a good fit for me.

I thought I was going to go there most of my life, and I was very, very against the thought of that. I just knew if I didn’t attend a private school, I would get off task and slack on my grades. I didn’t want to be that person at all, and again, I am so thankful I was able to turn my life around just by attending this school. The amount it has changed my life is overwhelming in a way, and it has set me up to be a diligent and engaged student. I would’ve never been the student I am today without the perseverance St. Ursula has taught me from scratch.

I lacked concern from the start of my school journey. Belonging to this school has given me the opportunity to be a better woman. I now know that I want to go to college. I am figuring out who I am and who I want to be, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the education I was given. Every single class I have taken at this school has taught me some sort of life lesson—whether it’s from being late to my first class or an actual valuable life lesson.

An example of that would be my leadership class here at SUA. That class has taught me more than I thought possible. It helped me figure out who I want to be and what my purpose in life is. I know God brought me to St. Ursula. I was lucky to be in the first class to be involved in leadership, and it was really a blessing. I didn’t even know about this new program when I started here my freshman year, and I wasn’t too happy about having to do it. Once I found out about having to present a lot, anyway.

I am beyond excited to say that I just finished my fourth year in leadership class, and I feel like a new and improved woman! I do feel like a leader! Thank you, St. Ursula, for all of the support and help I have gotten over the years; it really did make me fall in love with learning new things. I will never forget the leadership program, or literally any other class I’ve taken, because of the amount of information I learned from each class.