Toby Miller
Florida
This past May, Toby Miller walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma, signifying the hurdles he has overcome and the accomplishments he has made at Odessa Christian School. A few years ago, Toby’s mother, Katie Miller, worried about his future after he encountered setbacks in middle school. However, a scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation (AAA) enabled him to correct his path and he is now on his way to a promising future.
Prior to receiving an AAA Scholarship, Toby attended his local public middle school. His parents had recently divorced, and his mother Katie was adjusting to life as a single mom of four, with Toby being the youngest of the Miller children. Unfortunately, Toby began associating with the wrong crowd and making poor choices, eventually leading him to be suspended from school. Additionally, he began to struggle academically as his 504 educational plan was not being followed and his grades suffered.
Katie was determined to do whatever it took to get her son back on track and began to research alternative solutions, including Odessa Christian School, a school she was familiar with as it was close to their neighborhood and her sister-in-law had previously been a teacher at the school. The school appeared to be the perfect solution, except for one thing: the tuition.
“At the time, I was newly divorced and just finishing up nursing school,” recalls Katie. “Affording the tuition at Odessa Christian would have been next to impossible. However, the school told us about the AAA Scholarship Foundation and we were able to receive a scholarship for Toby. I was overjoyed!”
As Toby transitioned to Odessa Christian, he began to feel seen and heard by his teachers and his grades improved, going from failing to earning A’s and B’s in his classes. Surrounded by positive influences, and with renewed confidence, Toby began to branch out, taking the initiative to volunteer on the production team at church and getting a job at their local grocery store.
“None of these things I advised him to do; he did it all on his own,” says Katie.
By the time Toby reached his senior year, he had become an honor roll student and was recognized for his strong skills as a sound technician. In the Spring of 2024, he graduated with honors from Odessa Christian School. Following graduation, he got a job doing background checks for a company – perfectly suited to his future career interests – and is starting a new chapter at Western Governors University, where he will be studying cyber security.
Reflecting on the journey Toby has undertaken, Katie is both proud and grateful.
“As soon as he started at Odessa Christian, I felt relieved,” says Katie. “As a parent, knowing in my heart that he was in a safe space was very comforting. And now seeing the incredible person he is growing into and all that he has accomplished the past few years…to say I am proud would be an understatement. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Toby’s life would look very different right now if he did not have the tremendous opportunity that was given to him by the AAA Scholarship Foundation and its donors. You have made this all possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
About AAA Scholarship Foundation
AAA Scholarship Foundation promotes the advancement of education by administering educational choice programs. The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. More than 80 percent of these children are initially awarded AAA scholarships while living in households with annual incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Many are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they first receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and are concerned about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their children and will reverse inadequate learning, social patterns and potential lifelong negative impacts. They wish to change their children’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.
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.