As he wraps up his junior year, 17-year-old McKinley Habersham is thriving in his first year at Memorial Day School in Savannah, Ga., a school he is able to attend through a scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation. It’s hard to imagine that only a year ago, while still coping with the tragic loss of his father, McKinley was struggling academically and had lost all interest in any future ambitions.

For most of his life, McKinley had done very well in school, including earning a regular spot on his public school’s honor roll. However, tragedy struck the Habersham family in 2008, when McKinley’s father passed away during the explosion at the Imperial Sugar Factory. McKinley was crushed and while therapy helped him deal with his emotions, his mother, Latesha Habersham, saw it as the starting point of his dwindling interest and ambition in school.
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Lauren Moreno is a first year recipient of an Arizona Tuition Tax Credit Scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation, attending Bourgade Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona. The scholarship and her parents selected school have provided her with endless opportunities to achieve and build upon her dreams and hopes for the future.

Lauren is one of four children raised by a single mom. Despite the limited income for her family, Lauren’s mom, Yvonne Ortega, is dedicated to ensuring her children have opportunities in life that she did not have. Yvonne was not able to finish college and she wants her children to have the chance to advance their education and pursue their dreams. And she has made good on that promise. Determined to ensure that Lauren goes to a school that will provide her with a strong educational foundation, she has consistently sought out scholarships and other sources of financial aid that will help fill in the gaps of their family’s limited income and enable Lauren to go to a school where she can excel. The scholarship from AAA helped to ease the economic barriers and enable Lauren to build upon her success at Bourgade Catholic High School.
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Like most parents, Sabrina Levi has an unwavering dedication to her children. However, Sabrina’s own struggles have only intensified her commitment to paving a better path for her family and ensuring her children succeed – both in school and in life.

A single parent herself, Sabrina grew up under the sole care of her mother, who worked long hours to provide the basics: keeping a roof over her head, food on the table, shoes on her feet and clothes on her back. Her mother did the best she could, but after the long hours put into supporting the family, Sabrina’s education was not a focal point. After all, Sabrina did okay in school, passing on to the next grade level and eventually graduating high school. It was not until Sabrina re-enrolled in college that the harsh reality hit her – her basic academic skills – including English and math – were not up to par. In fact, she was testing at only the 8th grade level in reading and she had to take four classes to bring her up to the 12th grade level, and had to start over with the basic level class in math.
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Robert Townsend knows from personal experience the hardships of life, and because of that, he wants to make sure his children are equipped with a strong educational foundation to prepare them to be successful and hardworking adults. However, as Robert and his wife Tammy learned, finding an educational environment to meet the unique needs of each child be challenging. Scholarships from the AAA Scholarship Foundation have given the Townsend family expanded opportunities for their children, enabling them to break economic barriers and thrive in school and life.

Robert’s life journey has not been an easy one. When he was only 13 years old, he became homeless and remained without a place to call home until he was 18 years old. Despite the dismal circumstances, he knew even then the power of education and he found a way to complete high school – all on his own. During the years since, he has faced ups and downs – including losing his arm in a tragic car accident and having to learn to write again with his opposite hand. However, his determination to provide a better life for his family has remained strong.
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At only 14 years old, Quinton Johnson is on the fast track to success. A recipient of a scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation, Quinton attends The Dinoff School for the Gifted in Griffin, Ga., where he is challenging his academic abilities by taking college-level classes and scoring in the 99th percentile on standardized tests. However, just three years ago, Quinton’s academic future was in limbo.

Quinton has spent most of his life under the care of his grandmother, Verdelle Johnson, who has full custody of both him and his younger sister. Verdelle has been a positive influence in Quinton’s life, helping him to overcome early hardships and encouraging him to always put forth his greatest effort.

“My grandma showed me that I could do better things with my life,” Quinton says. “She taught me to try my best in everything I do.”
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