MARYVALE, AZ — Changing what people believe is possible. That’s what Jason Catanese is doing daily in his middle school classroom at Pueblo Del Sol in Maryvale.
For the past decade, that belief has grown far beyond the boundaries of the Isaac Elementary District near 43rd Avenue and Indian School Road.
Today, it lives on through Camp Catanese, a one-week STEM and college-prep camp, along with year-round initiatives that help first-generation and underserved students prepare for college and beyond.
ABC15 Mornings Anchor Kaley O'Kelley visited Camp Catanese at Arizona State University's West Valley campus.
Students from 65 districts across the state from underserved communities spend a week exploring STEM subjects and learning about higher education.
They also discover opportunities they may have never realized were available.
For many of the students, college has always felt out of reach.
"I knew there was higher education," one student told O'Kelley. "But I didn't know where to start."
Others said they had never heard of scholarships or FAFSA until they came to Camp Cat.
"I didn't know these resources existed," another student said. "I didn't know there were scholarships or FAFSA."
The man behind all of this is Jason Catanese, who came to Arizona through Teach For America a decade ago. He says what he found in Maryvale wasn't a lack of talent; it was a lack of access.
Catanese tells ABC15, “My students had the drive and the potential to succeed, but many didn't have access to the advanced coursework in math.” They also lacked guidance to help prepare them for college.
Determined to change that, Catanese began knocking on doors throughout the neighborhood, inviting families to send their children to a voluntary after-school math program.
He expected about 20 students.
Instead, 86 showed up.
"I had kids that were so excited to be there," Catanese said. "That alone shows you the power of bringing a community together."
That after-school class eventually became Camp Catanese.
Today, the organization supports students at Camp Cat by helping them navigate college applications, financial aid, scholarships and the transition to higher education.
Another student, Tiani Miranda-Urquijo, believes Camp Cat made the difference between graduating high school and attending college.
"Without this experience," she said, "I don't think I would have made it to college on my own."
What began with one teacher's determination has grown into a community effort supported by schools, universities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and donors who share the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed.
Despite the program's growth, Catanese is quick to recognize those who have helped make it possible.
Community partners include Arizona State University, Helios Education Foundation, Arizona Community Foundation, Valley of the Sun United Way, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Burton Family Foundation, Pivotal Foundation, Steptoe & Johnson, Social Venture Partners Arizona, the Dougherty Foundation, The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation, Orthodox Vision Foundation, Pathway for Engineering and many other organizations and individuals who continue to invest in Arizona students.
"There is such a big community behind this," he said. "Whether it's ASU, donors, staff... this is what happens when a team of people come together."
For him, the mission has never been about teaching math alone. It's about helping young people believe their future isn't defined by the circumstances they were born into.
It's also about changing what they believe is possible.
For more information,
go to the website.