Amariah Jones
Savannah, GA
As the proud mother of three, Nikesha Bryant works tirelessly to provide for her children and make sure they have access to tools that will foster their growth and success. However, as her oldest daughter Amariah Jones was preparing to enter middle school, she began to worry about the lack of safe, quality educational options in their area. Like many growing areas, their hometown of Savannah, Ga., had seen an uptick in crime over the years, impacting the area youth and even trickling into some of the neighborhood schools, where metal detectors replaced open doors and education levels dwindled as students focused more on their safety than their test scores.
Amariah did well throughout her elementary school years as she was able to attend a school that provided a safe, nurturing environment that enabled her to thrive. However, the middle schools in their area were limited, with the location largely determining whether the school was able to provide a safe learning environment. Knowing the challenges Amariah would face in middle school if not placed in the right educational setting, Nikesha opted to utilize the public school system’s choice program and applied for several area public middle schools that she felt would be a good fit. However, student selections for the schools are based on a lottery system and, despite their best efforts, Amariah did not get a spot at any of their choice schools. Instead, her only option was to attend a middle school plagued with problems of student violence and poor academic performance.
Determined to find a more suitable school for her daughter, she began to investigate other educational options in their area and learned about the AAA Scholarship Foundation (AAA), which would enable Amariah to receive a tax credit scholarship to attend a private school of choice.
“When I received the approval letter from the AAA Scholarship Foundation, I was overjoyed and a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders,” recalls Nikesha. “The scholarship saved my daughter from a potentially disastrous situation and enabled her to receive a high-quality education in a safe learning environment.”
Now in the 10th grade at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Amariah is excelling thanks to the advanced curriculum that challenges her to go beyond her comfort zone and reach her full potential, which has resulted in her continually bringing home A’s. In addition to her hard work in the classroom, she has also taken advantage of the extracurricular opportunities at the school – such as cheer, basketball, color guard and band – enabling her to come out of her shell and stay engaged at school.
As Amariah continues to develop her skills and think about her future, Nikesha only hopes that she continues to pursue happiness while paving her own path to success. “I think being happy in school and surrounded by opportunity plays a big part in her being able to achieve her goals,” she adds.
As far as the AAA donors who made it possible for Amariah to have access to these opportunities, Nikesha is overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you giving my child an opportunity of a lifetime!” says Nikesha. “As a single parent with a limited income, you have provided an incredible resource for my family that would otherwise be out of reach: access to a high-quality education. Your support means that my child is not limited to attending a school that is unfit, and instead able to attend a school that can offer her countless opportunities. We are incredibly grateful to all those who make this possible!”
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.