By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
The Athens Academic Renaissance Organization has been around for many years, quietly doing good at Athens High School. Behind the organization is a group of dedicated individuals who look for ways to support and reward students.
That means handing out incentives, such as candy bars, every six weeks to those with good grades, grilling hamburgers every spring for the entire campus, and encouraging teachers by providing the occasional luncheon. Those things would be worthwhile all on their own, but the organization (AARO) is best loved for annually giving away thousands of dollars worth of scholarships.
“AARO helped support me not only financially, but academically and emotionally,” said 2015 graduate and scholarship recipient Kay Solomon. “Every member of that organization had my back and wanted nothing more than to see my peers and me succeed.”
Two years ago, a total of $17,000 in scholarships was awarded. Last year, seniors shared $14,100 in scholarships … and unless more donors step up, the scholarship totals will continue to shrink. This has come to pass because, after several years of support, a key contributor to AARO’s scholarship fund has allocated its resources elsewhere. Though AARO conducts fundraisers, the loss of key funding has created a deficit than cannot be bridged without generous donor support.
“Every senior is given an application and encouraged to apply,” said AARO President BJ Davies. Individual scholarship amounts have ranged from $50 to $1,500 and are awarded based on how active a student has been in school.
“The people behind AARO keep my teachers and our kids going,” said AHS Principal Jami Ivey. “We’re caught up in the day-to-day business of running the school, and they provide us with the extra things for our kids. That’s a hole we can’t fill.”
If you would like to contribute to AARO’s scholarship fund, please send a check payable to Athens Academic Renaissance Organization to: AARO/Jennifer Amheiser, 2 Wildflower Lane, Athens, TX 75751.