Elias ’25, a first-generation college student who has attended Bishop Dunne since seventh grade, shared his family story and how God used the school to prepare him for college:

“My mother and I moved six times between May 2022 and December 2023. After she lost her job, we had to leave our home and move in with my grandmother…The day before my sophomore year (At Dunne), my grandmother’s home caught fire. We had nowhere else to stay but a hotel. Afterward, we moved in with my uncle. The hardest aspect was not the small space or privacy but losing my motivation and confidence bit by bit.  

What kept me going was the support of my teachers, friends, and especially my mom, who kept telling me over and over that our situation did not define my destiny. By the end of 2023, we planted ourselves in a new place—home—and started rebuilding my focus and drive. These events did not break me…They made me more determined than ever to attend college.” 

Elias is an accomplished, four-year, all-state champion tuba player who plans to study music education at Texas Christian University, having earned a $67,500 annual scholarship to attend. Your support provides our students with opportunity and a nurturing community that all youth need to thrive and pursue their God-given dreams.