From Wrestling Mat to Classroom:
How the Right School Helped Unlock Bo Bassett’s Potential
For Bo Bassett, the right school didn’t just support his goals—it helped him reach his full potential.
At five o’clock in the morning, most teenagers are asleep. Bo Bassett is already working. Before the sun rises over Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Bo has finished his first workout of the day. By the time his classmates arrive at school, he’s already trained his body and sharpened his focus—because for Bo, excellence isn’t something you switch on and off. It’s a habit. “I think how you do one thing is how you do everything,” he says.
That mindset has helped make Bo one of the nation’s top wrestling recruits in the Class of 2026. But the discipline that defines him today wasn’t built on the mat alone. It was shaped just as much in the classroom—after his family made a decision that would change his trajectory.
Growing Up in a Wrestling Hotbed
Bo was born into wrestling. Literally. Johnstown, in Western Pennsylvania, is known in the wrestling world as a proving ground—a place where the sport runs deep and expectations run high.
Bo started wrestling at six years old, surrounded by a culture that values grit, consistency, and humility. But even in a community steeped in tradition, talent alone isn’t enough.
Wrestlers train relentlessly, balancing school, faith, and family alongside early mornings and late nights. Bo’s days still follow a demanding rhythm: morning workout before school, classes through mid-afternoon, and two more training sessions in the evening.
Yet despite the physical grind, Bo’s parents always made one thing clear: academics come first. “If your homework is not done, you’re not going to practice,” they told him. It was a standard of what the family prioritized.
When School Stopped Working
Like many families, the Bassetts assumed their local public school would be enough. Then COVID hit. By the time Bo reached seventh grade, the cracks were showing.
Virtual learning dragged on. Classroom instruction felt fragmented. Momentum stalled. Bo’s mother remembers the concern clearly: “I just felt like my sons were getting far behind.”
The family wanted something simple—in-person learning, structure, accountability. But when they began looking at other options, a familiar barrier appeared: could they afford it?
For many families, the challenge isn’t whether a better-fit school exists—it’s whether access is financially possible.
Taking a Leap into Choice
Bishop McCort High School became an option—but not an obvious one. Tuition was real. The decision felt heavy.
Through scholarships designed to help families access schools that better meet their children’s needs, they found a way forward. But they didn’t know it would change everything.
Looking back now, Bo doesn’t hesitate when asked about the impact. “Making the switch was life-changing,” he says, “education-wise, athletically, and in my faith.” At McCort, all three mattered—and all three were held to high standards.
Making the switch was life-changing,” he says, “education-wise, athletically, and in my faith.”
– Bo Bassett
School Choice Isn’t About Sports—It’s About Fit
Bo is quick to point out that wrestling isn’t his identity. “My faith defines who I am,” he says.
And while his goal is ambitious—Olympic champion someday—his story isn’t really about medals or rankings. It’s about what happens when families are allowed to choose a school that matches their child’s needs, values, and potential.
“Where you live or what ZIP code you’re in shouldn’t lock you into one school,” Bo says. “Every family should have the opportunity to go where they believe their child will succeed.”
That belief sits at the heart of school choice—not as a political argument, but as a practical one.
Get notified when the Education Freedom Tax Credit launches so you don’t miss the opportunity to support K–12 students while benefiting from a federal tax credit.
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