Blessing Dosumu
Young Americans Christian School
Conyers, GA
Both Kelvin and Helen Dosumu immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, West Africa, several years ago, in search of expanded opportunities. After marrying and having a daughter, whom they named Blessing, they knew that they wanted to give their child every opportunity possible for a successful life, including a quality education in a safe environment.
As residents of Conyers, Ga., they were aware that crime in the area was prevalent – with the crime rate in the area averaging 80 percent higher than the rest of the state of Georgia and 110 percent higher than the national average. Therefore, when it came time for Blessing to start school, they wanted to make sure that their daughter would be in a safe environment and one that would help her get a jumpstart on her education. Unfortunately, they were not satisfied with her assigned public school and so they opted to send her to a private school – Woodlee’s Christian Academy, which provided an academic program that suited Blessing’s learning needs and provided a safe environment that put her parents’ minds at ease. At the time, Kelvin’s job enabled them to fit the tuition into the family’s budget, even if it made finances tight. Their daughter’s safety and academic future were top priority.
Blessing excelled at her parent-selected school, regularly bringing home A’s and making the school honor roll. Unfortunately, Kelvin lost his job before Blessing began the third grade, putting the family in a position where they could no longer afford the tuition. With seemingly no other options, they had to transfer Blessing from a school where she was excelling to their area public school. Because of their prior research on schools in the area, they knew the area public school was not a good fit for their daughter and worried about the impact the environment would have on her progress.
Desperate to find a way for Blessing to transfer back to Woodlee’s Christian to continue her education, they learned about the Georgia tax credit scholarships available through AAA Scholarship Foundation. Eager to keep their daughter on track, Helen and Kelvin applied for the scholarship immediately and were elated when they learned Blessing was approved.
“The AAA Scholarship gave us hope and the ability to send our daughter to a school that brings out the best in her academic abilities,” says Helen.
Blessing continued to thrive at Woodlee’s Christian and at the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, she transferred to Young Americans Christian School (YACS) for her 5th grade year. YACS is a school that was founded by area families, who just like the Dosumu family, were seeking a quality educational environment for their children. The school began with just 24 preschool students who met in a local church facility. As demand for the school’s educational services grew, and with support from the community, additional grade levels were added over the years. Today, YACS serves more than 500 students, making it the largest private school in Rockdale and Newton counties. In addition to its traditional educational programs, YACS has also added a STEM LEGO curriculum for elementary school students, as well as a dedicated STEM classroom for middle and high school students, helping to increase student skills in science, technology, engineering and math through fun and engaging activities.
Blessing continues to excel at YACS, bringing home A’s and keeping a spot on the school’s honor roll. Well aware of the opportunities she has been given through the scholarship, she is taking full advantage of the school’s academic programs and has developed a strong interest in science and math thanks to the YACS robust STEM program. Although only 12 years old, Blessing has grand aspirations for the future, which include pursuing careers as both a doctor and a singer.
“We are beyond grateful to the AAA Scholarship Foundation and its donors,” says Helen. “You are giving so many children just like mine the opportunity to truly reach their full potential in school. In doing so, you are paving the path for them to become successful adults and productive members of their communities.”
About AAA Scholarship Foundation
The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. The average household income of families accepted to receive scholarships is $23,559 for a family of four. Many children are either below grade level, failing at their previous school, or both, when they receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and care about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their child to reverse inadequate learning and/or social patterns and the potential lifelong negative impact. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.
AAA Scholarships are funded in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a tax credit (dollar-for-dollar in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada, and up to 90 percent in Pennsylvania). AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved Scholarship 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students through these Scholarship Tax Credit programs. 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 corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri@aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.
Click here for a pdf of this spotlight.