Kendra Espinoza

Before her husband unexpectedly left, Kendra homeschooled her daughters. But his leaving threw their lives into turmoil. Their house went into foreclosure, and Kendra had to find a job, starting out as a housekeeper, then eventually as a full time bookkeeper. Kendra also had to put her girls in public school, where Naomi was sometimes bullied and Sarah struggled in her classes. Kendra was also concerned that many of the students seemed to have parents with drug addiction, and students often used inappropriate language around her young girls.

Kendra desperately wanted to send her children to Stillwater, but knew she could not afford the tuition on her salary.

So Kendra started working to raise tuition funds. She held two yard sales and auctioned off handmade quilts made by a generous donor. She also found additional work cleaning houses. Naomi even chipped in by getting a job mowing lawns. Adding to the extra funds, Stillwater provided the family with partial financial aid, and the girls began school there in September 2015.

Now Kendra’s girls are flourishing at Stillwater. Her girls love their teachers, and Kendra doesn’t worry about them being bullied or neglected. It gives Kendra great peace of mind to know that her children are happy and safe at Stillwater, and Kendra loves that the school teaches the same values that she teaches at home. But it is still a real financial struggle for Kendra to pay the remaining tuition every month. Kendra often worries that she will not have enough money to make the payments.