Category: Impact

Amirou – Corryville Catholic | La Salle class of 2027

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Amirou's CISE Story


“CISE has made it much easier for my family and has changed my future.”

Amirou and his twin sister, Aminatou, have attended Corryville Catholic since second grade. This year, both siblings received CISE high school scholarships and will attend Catholic high schools in the fall.

Amirou looks forward to studying computer science, game development and entrepreneurship at La Salle High School in the fall. He is so grateful for the opportunities provided through CISE and this scholarship.

Amirou hopes to attend college where he plans to study computer science.

Geraldina – Holy Family | St. Ursula class of 2025

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Geraldina's CISE Story


“I’m grateful for this opportunity; it’s really a life-changing experience.”

A CISE scholarship enabled Geraldina to attend Saint Ursula Academy where she is a Student Ambassador and very involved in musical theater and the arts.

Geraldina values the opportunity to take higher level classes and appreciates the abundance of options for discovering her passions. With four brothers currently attending Holy Family, her educational journey is a shared experience.

Geraldina plans to study animation in college and hopes to become someone the next generation of students can look up to. 

Bitanya – Holy Family | Seton | UC class of 2026

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Bitanya's CISE Story

“If you told me in 7th grade that I would receive a full ride to college I would never have believed it! ”

Bitanya’s family immigrated to the US in 2007, seeking a better life. At Holy Family, she received tremendous support as the sole English-speaking person in her household. 

With the help of a CISE scholarship, Bitanya attended Seton where she excelled. While in high school she founded “The Grateful Foundation,” a nonprofit to raise funds for her village in Ethiopia. 

Bitanya now attends the University of Cincinnati on a full ride scholarship. She studies marketing and continues the work with her nonprofit organization.

Guadalupe – St. Cecilia graduate, Mt. Notre Dame class of 2026

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Guadalupe's CISE Story

“I am grateful to CISE for the support they have given my daughter. I know that St. Cecilia and Mt. Notre Dame will prepare her for success.
~ Guadalupe’s dad

Guadalupe attended St. Cecilia since kindergarten where she was among the first Hispanic students.

Her favorite subjects are Math and English, and her favorite things about St. Cecilia are the teachers and the ethnic diversity of her classmates.

Lupe, as she is known to her friends, was honored to receive a CISE high school scholarship to attend a local Catholic high school of her choice.

Her future plans include college, where she will pursue a music degree.

Brandon – St. Francis de Sales graduate, Purcell Marian class of 2022

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Brandon's CISE Story

"CISE had a large impact on my education and my future at Xavier University in Louisiana."​

Brandon’s first big dream was realized in 8th grade at St. Francis de Sales when he was accepted to Purcell Marian High School. 

“St. Francis de Sales was the best school to prepare me for success,” he smiled, confident in his ability to make things happen through faith and hard work.

Grateful to focus on school rather than how to pay tuition, Brandon thanks CISE donors for their support.

Working to make his next dream a reality, Brandon is studying to be a doctor at Xavier University, Louisiana.

Brooke – St. Lawrence graduate, Seton class of 2018

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Brook's CISE Story

"Investing in us make a difference. Not only in our lives, but in our communities as well."

Brooke is a first generation college graduate from Mount St. Joseph University, where she was awarded the 2022 Distinguished Student Award. With a passion for immigration reform, she plans to continue her education in law school. 

Brooke told us, “My Catholic education equipped me with the tools I needed to overcome challenges and succeed.” After 17 years of Catholic education, she is ready to put her skills and faith to work!

She lives every day inspired by words from her 8th grade teacher Judy Mally, “What can I do? How can I help?”

 

Leah Houchens – St. Boniface Graduate

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Leah Houchens is a CISE graduate that attended St. Boniface elementary school. She attend McAuley Catholic High school to follow in the foot steps of her older cousins. CISE was able to help her follow her dreams of attending McAuley by offering her a scholarship that lifted the financial burden from her family. After high school, Leah graduated from Cincinnati State in 2017 with a major in Biology and focus in Bioscience Technology. Today, Leah works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a research assistant in genetics and DNA and is working on furthering her education at Northern Kentucky University in Neuroscience. Her plans are to graduate from NKU and transfer to Cincinnati Children’s technology department to focus on results, data, and write reports for doctors.

“CISE taught me the values of hard work and how to succeed in a diverse environment. I am grateful for the privilege of having been a CISE student.”

Ashley Thompson – St. Francis Seraph Graduate

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Ashley Thompson is a CISE graduate who attended St. Francis Seraph elementary school. Ashley received a CISE scholarship that allowed her to attend Roger Bacon High School and not be a financial burden to her family. After high school, she went to Cincinnati Christian University and majored in Early Childhood Education. Now, Ashley has been a preschool teacher for 10 years in Cincinnati and has used her education passion to travel to Kenya and Mexico on mission trips to teach English. Her goal is to one day teach English overseas in a third world country.

“CISE positively impacted my future. Attending a CISE school created a firm foundation for the rest of my life and contributed to my teaching success.”

Clifton Chapman – St. Francis de Sales Graduate

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Clifton Chapman is a CISE graduated who attended St. Francis de Sales elementary school. The opportunities that CISE gave him allowed him to  continue his Catholic education by attending Purcell Marian High School. Clifton graduated from Wright State University majoring in Arts and then obtained his masters in Educational Leadership and Administration from Northcentral University. He is currently teaching middle school math and science for Dayton Public Schools and was named as one of the top 30 under 30 best educators in Cincinnati in 2018. Clifton’s dreams are to eventually teach at a university and continue teaching the values he learned attending St. Francis de Sales to other students. 

“CISE helped me be the best I could be and created a pathway for success. I felt prepared for the future.”