From Topgolf to the Capitol: How Two Sisters Turned Sacrifice into a Voice for School Choice

Ilana and Maylana “Mel” Leavitt aren’t your typical education advocates. Now based in Montana, the sisters are part of a growing chorus pushing for greater school choice, but their passion was forged long before they ever entered a legislative chamber. 

The Leavitts grew up in Oregon in a home marked by both sacrifice and conviction. Their father was declared a fully disabled veteran, and their mother was a homemaker, so money was scarce. Yet Ilana and Mel made an extraordinary choice to work nearly full-time hours to pay for a classical private school education their family couldn’t otherwise afford. 

“We made the decision,” Mel recalled. “We both got full-time jobs at 16, 35 to 40 hours a week, while still in school, playing sports, doing everything.” 

The sisters found work at Topgolf in Oregon. Their earnings went directly toward tuition, not toward gas, phones, or even a future college fund. Instead, they poured their energy into an education they believed would shape their lives. 

And by their account, it did. Their school followed a classical model rooted in grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Instead of textbooks, students read primary sources. Rote memorization gave way to analytical thinking and persuasive arguments. Senior year culminated in a formal thesis defense. 

“It teaches you how to think,” Ilana said. “No matter what you decide to do in life, it’s going to benefit you.” 

Today, the Leavitt sisters are advocating to make that kind of education more accessible. Now residents of Montana, they recently testified before the state legislature in support of school choice reforms. Though the measures ultimately fell short, their message was unmistakable: no student should have to work 40-hour weeks to afford an education that fits. 

“If we had access to something like an education savings account,” Mel reflected, “we might have been able to stay in Oregon. We wouldn’t have had to use every cent for tuition, and we might even have had something saved for college.” 

Their perspective is shaped not just by ideology, but by lived experience. Both sisters insist that their advocacy isn’t about politics, it’s about potential. 

“Every student learns differently,” Ilana said. “We want every kid, no matter where they’re from, to have access to a quality education and the ability to think for themselves.” 

In a national debate often filled with talking points and abstractions, the story of Ilana and Mel Leavitt cuts through the noise. It’s a story not of theory, but of action, and the belief that students shouldn’t have to sacrifice their futures just to access the education that helps them flourish. 

Author: David From hosts the American Potential   podcast. David serves as a Regional Vice President at Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy and grassroots organization dedicated to advancing policies that expand freedom and opportunity. With extensive experience in advocacy and public policy, David is committed to highlighting stories of individuals and communities breaking barriers and creating positive change across the country.