Emerson Reed
Phoenix, AZ
For Angela Robinson and her daughter Emerson Reed, the last few years have brought profound loss, unexpected change, and difficult new responsibilities. Through it all, one source of stability has been Emerson’s school community at Arcadia Christian Academy in Phoenix — an opportunity made possible through the AAA Scholarship Foundation.
A single mother who was raised by a single mother herself, Angela understands the sacrifices families often make to provide their children with meaningful educational opportunities. “My mom was a social worker and ran a homeless shelter in California, so my childhood was very diverse,” Angela recalls. “She at times worked two jobs to be able to afford my education. This instilled an appreciation for her as well as the value of hard work.”
By her senior year of high school, Angela’s years of dedication on the softball field had earned her a scholarship out of state. Due to personal reasons and her passion for the sport beginning to fade, Angela made the decision to stay close to home and pursue a paralegal certification from California State University, Monterey Bay.
Angela later married Emerson’s father, and the couple moved to Austin, Texas, in search of new opportunities, including a path for him to pursue music professionally. Emerson was born in 2010, but before her first birthday, Angela and Emerson’s father divorced.
Needing a fresh start, Angela eventually relocated with Emerson to Arizona. Emerson began kindergarten at a local public school and later transitioned to a charter school in Scottsdale. But after being diagnosed with ADHD and experiencing additional changes in their family circumstances, Emerson struggled to gain traction in school.
Angela could see her daughter’s potential and began looking for an educational environment that would better support Emerson’s learning needs while also helping her grow in confidence. That search led her to the AAA Scholarship Foundation, which would help lift the financial barriers standing between Emerson and a school better suited to her needs.
In 2024, just as things were beginning to look hopeful, the family experienced another devastating loss when Emerson’s father passed away suddenly. As Angela and Emerson worked through their grief, they also received encouraging news: Emerson had been approved for an AAA Scholarship.
The scholarship first allowed Emerson to attend a private Christian school in Mesa, but the long commute from their home proved unsustainable. Angela continued searching for the right fit and eventually found Arcadia Christian Academy, a newer school in their area that offered the support, flexibility, and sense of community Emerson needed.
For Emerson, the difference has been transformative. Having just completed 10th grade, she is beginning to think seriously about her future and the goals she wants to pursue. Creative and confident, Emerson has discovered a passion for fashion and dreams of attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York to become a fashion designer. She also participates in a local theater program and loves to sing — perhaps a gift she inherited from her father. For Angela and Emerson, live music has also become an important way to heal and stay connected. After so much loss, those shared experiences have offered moments of joy, comfort, and togetherness.
Finding her footing at Arcadia has helped Emerson grow academically, socially, and emotionally. The school has provided more than an education; it has become a meaningful source of support as Emerson continues to work through the loss of her father and as Angela now cares for her own mother, who has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“The last few years have brought significant challenges for our family,” says Angela. “But we have also been able to see the beacon of hope in many ways, one of which is the opportunities my daughter is experiencing as a result of the AAA Scholarship Foundation. I am deeply grateful to the donors who make these scholarships possible and hope that sharing our story helps to offer just one example of the tremendous impact they are having on so many families.”
About AAA Scholarship Foundation
The typical AAA Scholarship student is either below grade level, failing at their previous school, or both, when they receive an income-based scholarship. Parents who find their children in these circumstances and care about their future look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges and engages their child to reverse inappropriate learning and/or social patterns and the lifelong negative impact they imply. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure. Another is the first-time student, who is just entering kindergarten. Parents, wanting to empower their child’s academic journey from day one, choose the AAA scholarship so that their child will have a quality education tailored specifically for their learning needs ensuring their time in school is a seamless experience from K-12. Your contributions to AAA provide the lifelines that these parents need.
AAA Scholarships are funded in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada by companies that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations approved to administer these legislatively authorized tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information, or to learn how your company can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri @ aaascholarships.org or 888-707-2465 ext. 730.
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