Sponsor a Student

Bryson and I became a family in December 2017. I pursued Bryson's adoption because China believed he was Deaf, and I am a Deaf Education teacher. I totally can parent a deaf child! I've got this! (both things I said.) Upon our return to the United States, it was determined that Bryson was not deaf at all! He was diagnosed with Autism. When I found out about Journey School I knew Bryson needed to be a student there. As I am a single Mom on a teacher's salary, I cannot afford tuition. August came around and Melodie let me know that Bryson was accepted on a scholarship. This was the BEST thing I heard since bringing Bryson home. He will finally receive the education
he deserves!

Bryson has been at Journey School for three school years. I THANK GOD for Journey School.

Journey School sees Bryson as a whole child ensuring that he is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Most importantly, the entire staff understands Bryson’s unique needs beyond academics and life skills; sensory, culture, adoption, institutionalism and learning English as a Second Language. Instead of extinguishing behaviors, they have taken the time to find the “why” and help him meet his needs and progress through developmental milestones he missed in the first six years of his life. Journey School is not merely a school ... but our family!

Charlotte was brought into the foster care system when she was five years old. For the first year, she bounced through five different foster homes. On November 17, 2017, she was placed in her sixth and final home. She was finally adopted on November 26, 2020. When she was placed with our family we were unaware of her unique needs and multiple diagnosis’. Looking back, we are thankful that we did not. God knew that we would have been afraid to take on all of the challenges, He also knew that we would miss out on so many wonderful things. She is an AMAZING kid!

She has seen numerous specialists to help diagnose her physical health struggles and emotional needs. In this time, she has been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Disinhibited Attachment Disorder, Dyslexia, and PTSD.

As you can imagine, between her early childhood trauma and the list of emotional and learning struggles, school is a huge challenge for Charlotte. Journey School would give her the educational and emotional support that she needs to be able to move forward and succeed in her future. A scholarship for Charlotte would give her the opportunity to feel successful in a learning environment, a feeling she doesn’t often have, and would allow her to work on her behavioral and emotional challenges in an environment that is safe, understanding, and loving.

God led our family to adopt AvaJoy in June 2015 and Bella in July 2016 from the Journey of a Joyful Life home in China. I just assumed we would homeschool them like I was doing with my 5 other children. But quickly I realized I needed help, they needed way more than I could provide. We tried public school for a while, we also tried getting help from college students majoring in Spec ed, but we just couldn’t meet the needs of the girls.

In December 2020 we took a step of faith and moved our family of 10 from Dallas to Conroe to attend the school. Journey is a dream! The teachers are amazing! Our girls get tons of one on one time, their education is catered to their individual needs! The biggest growth has been in their communication which has enabled us to grow closer as a family. They are counting and they know their letters and this year they both wrote their names independently. They are both building friendships. God is using Journey School to enable AvaJoy and Bella to thrive. They are both blossoming because of the heart of Journey School staff.

Meet Ty! He is 11 years old. Ty is diagnosed with autism and autoimmune disease, due to vaccine injury. He received all vaccines up until he was 18 months old and soon after he became sick and stopped saying new words, and slowly but surely all previous words he used to say all the time, slipped away. Ty has never regained these words. He used to say “amen” when his family would pray, but he lost that along with many others. Any sickness causes him to lose a skill, and because Ty does not have an immune system, he is required to be sedated every 4-6 weeks to receive Intravenous Immune Globulin ("IVIG"). This helps his body to be able to fight off infections as best it can. Although these situations are tough, they don’t stop him! 

Ty is such a sweet boy, with a huge personality! He loves to swing on the playground, ride horses, and interact with others! Currently Ty and his family are facing many hardships such as illness and financial strain. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, Ty’s family is not able to afford tuition for him to attend Journey School in the 2022-2023 school year. A scholarship for Ty would mean that he can continue his journey here at Journey School for the Uniquely gifted and Talented. This gift directly impacts the life of Ty and his family. The gift of education not only gives to the student academically, but it gives Ty the opportunity to be understood and individually loved and educated!

Alana is a sweet fun-loving 15 year old girl who was diagnosed in 2011 with Rett Syndrome at the age of 4. The same year she was forced to have a G-tube put in to sustain her life. She is non-verbal, has no purposeful use of her hands, has no reliable form of communication, and has also been diagnosed with CVI (Cortical Vision Impairment) meaning she is legally blind. Alana requires one on one assistance with every aspect of daily life.

As a single father and Peace Officer, her dad is seeking a scholarship for Alana to attend Journey School. 

“Journey is specially created for children like my daughter. I appreciate the public school system but it can not meet her needs the way Journey can. I know in my heart that my daughter belongs in this school. God has a big plan for her and I truly believe Journey is supposed to be a part of it.” – Trent L.

Katie was adopted in 2019. Her mom, Dannye, met and spent time with her at the Journey of a Joyful Life foster home in China. Upon Dannye’s arrival back to the United States, she worked tirelessly to complete the process to bring Katie home. Dannye is a single mom to Katie and works at Journey School as a Paraprofessional. 

“Journey School is our home away from home. The precious teachers meet Katie where she is, but have high expectations of her, and never underestimate her! They believe in her and love her. Katie has made great strides through the dedication of her teachers! Journey School is one of the only places I feel, as her mother, comfortable leaving her. The support system of Journey School is priceless! The encouragement, the community, there is nothing like it! We are a family! We love our Journey Family!” – Dannye P.