By Beth Alston

From left are Garbrion Johnson, Debra Hghes (ASHS band director), and De’Shun Iverson (recipient).

At the recent Americus-Sumter High School (ASHS) Band Banquet, the Gabrion Johnson Pay It Forward Band Scholarship was presented to its first recipient — De’Shun Iverson.

Johnson was drum major of the ASHS Band in 2015-2016, and a 2016 Honor Graduate of ASHS. He is a junior financial planner major at the University of Georgia.

When asked why he started the scholarship, Johnson said, “A lot of my friends and classmates talk about our community and how we want to motivate our kids and how they don’t know about college nor what to expect. They don’t know how to pay for college.”

Johnson said he had some great opportunities while in school in Americus and he wanted to pay it forward. His goal is to encourage others to do more; he wants more of the students at ASHS to branch out and go to college. He wants to give a little money to help with their college career. He has even given his phone number if they need help with understanding the financial aid process. His hopes are to help students learn about the different types of financial aid and loans that are out there and that hopefully when they graduate from college they are not deep in debt.

It was not until after he started at UGA that he learned so much about life, about living on your own. He wants to help students not make some of the same freshman year mistakes as he has, and to be ahead of the pack.

Johnson began tutoring at an elementary school in Athens, and saved some of each paycheck. This year he was able to present a $500 scholarship, but his goal is to be able to give a $1,000 scholarship each year. When asked how long he plans to continue the Gabrion Johnson Pay it Forward Scholarship, Johnson said, “For the rest of my life.”

In January, Johnson reached out to the ASHS’s Band Director, Debra Hughes, and discussed his idea of wanting to start a scholarship and giving back to his school and community. They worked together to create the scholarship application which included a 500- to 750-word essay on the topic “How to pay it forward when you are able”. He felt that the band students would be a good starting point, because the band program impacted his life in many positive ways. The only other requirement for the scholarship was that the applicant was going to college. The applications were submitted in April and the scholarship was awarded at the Annual Band Banquet.

De’Shun Iverson was surprised when his name was called. Johnson said when he was reading over the essay, it was like he was looking in a mirror. He and Iverson have the same values, and they both want to make a positive impact on the youth in their community. One of the statements in Iverson’s essay was, “In order to make a change you must address a concern by being a positive influence on the children of the future.” Johnson has asked that the scholarship recipient contact him sometime during his first year in college and tell him a way he has paid it forward. Johnson said it could be as simple as offering encouraging words to a classmate. Motivation is worth more than a dollar sign.

Johnson said that he decided to “put words into action” and to begin now paying it forward.

View original article on the Americus Times-Recorder website

By Brita Belli

Cofounders of the startup Astorian — (left to right) Aaron Resnick ’18 B.S., Victor Hunt ’18 B.S., Matt Kim, and Yusuf Olokoba — celebrate their win at the recent NYU-Yale Pitchoff. (Photo courtesy of Tsai CITY)

On July 12, Victor Hunt ’18 and cofounders Aaron Resnick ’18 B.S., Matt Kim, and Yusuf Olokoba, took home the grand prize at the NYU-Yale Pitchoff for their startup, Astorian, an online marketplace for building owners and contractors to submit projects and bids.

The pitchoff is an annual event hosted at New York University in collaboration with the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (CITY) and the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute. The event pits three teams from each summer accelerator against one another in a friendly competition.

The Astorian team is now living and working on the business full-time in New York City and has reached over $22 million in bids.

Hunt was drawn to real estate from a young age. He was raised by his mom in New York City and says there were times when he didn’t have a secure home. In middle school, he found work and mentorship with the CEO of a 38-building housing complex, where he learned the ins and outs of the business and saw the need to connect building managers with vetted contractors quickly and efficiently.

By the time he was accepted to Yale, he knew he wanted to start his own business, Hunt says. “I saw how inefficient the process was for managing buildings and hiring contractors and how impactful technology could be.”

Now, he says, “We’re officially launched and focused on user engagement.”

When building managers sign on to Astorian, they also provide their network of contractors. The site adds these to a growing database of licensed contractors who must upload their licenses and referrals, all of which is verified. After a job is done, both sides are invited to rate the experience. “Our vision is for the platform to be as automated as possible,” Hunt says. Other features of Astorian include scheduling, site visits and side-by-side bid comparisons.

Resnick, who roomed with Hunt for four years at Yale, is also passionate about entrepreneurship. “I like being able to drive the growth of something and be exposed to so many different aspects of the business,” he says. Hunt worked at the private equity real estate firm Dune Capital where he received guidance from co-CEO Dan Niedich ’72 B.A. “I saw an overview of real estate there that complemented my grassroots approach to industry,” he says. They attracted WinnResidential — a major New York City property manager — which brought 300 buildings onto their platform.

The Astorian team has spent the past year traveling to as many pitch competitions as their schedules would allow, including ones at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Rice, Carnegie-Mellon, and Princeton. They won business plan competitions in Connecticut, Queens County, and Brooklyn and were finalists at several others.

At Yale, they honed their skills through entrepreneurship courses at School of Management by lecturer Maureen Burke and Kyle Jensen, associate dean and the Shanna and Eric Bass Director of Entrepreneurship. They spent the past summer participating in an eight-week Summer Fellowship at Tsai CITY.

The cofounders say that with all the support and experience their pitch has improved tremendously, and with it, the interest of investors. Astorian has raised a pre-seed round and are continuing to bring more buildings on board. Their makeshift office is at the Yale Club of New York City.

View original article at the Yale News website

University of Pennsylvania Leaders for Tomorrow scholar Kayvon Asemani has recently been selected as one of Poets & Quants’s 3rd annual “Best and Brightest Business Majors” from the class of 2018. Kayvon is featured amongst the top undergraduate business majors from 55 undergraduate business schools across the country. Inclusion on Poets & Quants’s “Best and Brightest” is a national introduction to America’s top business leaders.

During his time at Penn, Kayvon has had the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom in both the music industry and in the business world. As a hip-hop artist, Kayvon has built a brand while performing on campus and touring across the country.  He has taken his talents to various internships across numerous fields including media & entertainment, investments, and consulting. And he has even found time to give back to the community by volunteering through the Financial Literacy Community Project. As for the near future, Kayvon will be heading to Silicon Valley accepting a position at Facebook following graduation this May.

See the full article on the Forbes website.

Annexstad Foundation Program Administrator Visits Scholars

Elin Wahman (front row, right), program administrator for the Annexstad Family Foundation, visited with UM Annexstad Scholars this fall to meet the freshmen scholars and hear from the upperclassmen about their progress, achievements and challenges. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Annexstad Scholar Cisco Santos of Southaven, Mississippi; Katie Morrison, UM development officer; Gloma Milner of Boaz, Alabama; and Wahman; (second row, left to right) John Samonds, associate dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College; Laurel Lee of Madison, Mississippi; and Tan Le of Gulfport, Mississippi; (back row, left to right) Rotavious Taper of Clarksdale, Mississippi, and David Pfaehler of Independence, Kentucky.

By Bill Dabney

Al and Cathy Annexstad, founders of the Annexstad Family Foundation, have long held an impassioned belief that exceptionally bright young people who have little or no means to go to college, and who have endured extraordinary hardship in their young lives, have great potential to one day become leaders in their chosen fields.

Students of high moral character, grit and intelligence are chosen to receive renewable scholarships with an objective of earning an undergraduate degree in four years. Leaders for Tomorrow scholars earn their undergraduate degrees as free from debt as possible.

Losing parents to untimely deaths in their youth, both Annexstads experienced the power of mentoring as their communities and families rallied around them in their formative years. The Annexstads’ deep, personal appreciation of how caring adults and an opportunity for higher education can influence a young person who has been impacted by hardship has led to over 750 scholarships being awarded across the nation since 2000.

“The University of Mississippi’s rich academic excellence and history of producing leaders in many fields is not only important for the state of Mississippi, but will ultimately produce future leaders for America,” Annexstad said. “Higher education is truly a great equalizer in life. It allows us as a nation to tap into a vast resource of desperately needed human capital. Equipping these talented scholars with world-class educations represents a significant investment in our nation’s future as they go on to make meaningful contributions to society.”

To date, the Annexstad Family Foundation has awarded 669 scholarships to students at 65 colleges and universities across the country, enabling 245 scholars to graduate. Additionally, 92 percent of Annexstad scholars graduate in four years.

University of Mississippi Foundation President Wendell Weakley said the Annexstads decided to award scholarships to UM students after accompanying their granddaughter on a campus visit.

“About a week after their visit, we got a call from the Annexstad Foundation saying they were interested in establishing a scholarship here,” Weakley said. “Al is truly the ideal philanthropist. He loves to give back when he knows it will make a difference.”

“Unfortunately, in America today far too many kids will not reach their God-given potential as contributing members of our society,” adds Tom Annexstad, Vice President and Director of Development. “While this is costly to them personally, it is likewise detrimental to our nation. The Annexstad Family Foundation is deeply committed to the notion that out of the ranks of exceptionally bright young people who have overcome immense hardship in life can emerge future leaders of America. Those young leaders begin to fully develop when they are given the opportunity for higher education.”

Indeed, the Annexstad Family Foundation is well on its way toward achieving Al and Cathy Annexstad’s goal of sending 1,000 young people to college. Most notably, the Annexstad Family Foundation proudly points to a nearly 90 percent graduation rate among scholarship recipients, an extraordinary achievement considering that the majority of Annexstad Scholars are first-generation college students.

Today, Annexstad graduates are successfully pursuing careers in medicine, business, science, engineering, law and other critical fields.

To view the original article, visit The University of Mississippi Foundation website

On Penn’s campus, Kayvon is already well-known. A musician and entrepreneur, Kayvon is one of the stars of the This is Our Penn video and has thrilled Penn crowds for nearly four years with his performances. But on the evening of the Scholarship Celebration, attendees got the chance to know Kayvon a little bit better.

For years before coming to Penn, Kayvon had a dream of coming to the University. And not only for the chance to study among some of the most talented students and professors in the world, but to prove that Penn truly is a place where students from a diverse set of backgrounds can grow and thrive.

“Our backgrounds don’t have to dictate where we end up, but instead our perspectives make us uniquely positioned to add incredible value. And I knew that Penn had all the resources to allow its student to follow their dreams, and it provided the support necessary for kids who wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise, thanks to the many donors in the room today.”

Kayvon has taken a journey from Baltimore, Maryland to the Milton Hershey School and then to Penn. Once at Penn, there was no stopping him.

Kayvon has had the opportunity to learn from leaders in both the business world and the music industry. He’s performed on campus and across the country. Kayvon has interned at a media & entertainment company and a trust fund and he’s done consulting. And he has somehow even found time to give back to the community by volunteering through the Financial Literacy Community Project.

The sky is the limit for Kayvon, and his first stop after graduation will be Silicon Valley where he will be working at Facebook.

Kayvon concluded by talking about the power of investment. “But one very simple thing I have learned during my time at Wharton is the true definition of an investment. The donors and the university are making an investment in us, and we’re using that investment to create more value for ourselves, the university, and the surrounding community in return. We’ve turned our adversities into advantages.”

View original article at the University of Pennsylvania website

Penn’s scholarship celebrations provide an opportunity for Penn’s generous donors to undergraduate scholarships to meet and build connections with the extraordinary students that their philanthropy supports. Held each fall on the Penn campus and each spring in New York City, these events are headlined by President Amy Gutmann, George Weiss, W’65, HON’14, Trustee Emeritus and founding member of the Men and Women of Pennsylvania, and features two of Penn’s remarkable scholarship recipients who share their personal stories.

Fall 2017 Scholarship Celebration

Kayvon, W’18, Elijah, W’21, James, C’19, Michael, C’19, Brandon, C’18, Sylvia, C’20, Elin Wahman, and Yareqzy, C’20

Every November, our Undergraduate Named Scholarship community comes together on Penn’s campus for the Fall Scholarship Celebration. Nearly 600 alumni, students, friends, University leadership, and parents experienced together an inspiring evening on November 28 that celebrated the generosity of Penn’s scholarship supporters, and the extraordinary accomplishments of students who can study, grow, and thrive at Penn because of the power of financial aid.

Scholarship donors and students met with one another – some for the very first time and others enjoying the evening together after years of knowing one another – and sharing together the unique bond of a Penn scholarship. For both the donors and the students, undergraduate financial aid and their love for Penn has impacted their lives in a deep and meaningful way.

Penn’s John R. Rockwell Gymnasium felt electric as seniors Elizabeth, C’18, and Kayvon, W’18 (Leaders for Tomorrow Scholar) shared their powerful personal stories. At certain points in both of their lives it seemed that college might be out of their reach, but their grit and brilliance brought them to Penn and financial aid has helped them to shine here and take advantage of all that the University has to offer them.

The Fall Scholarship Celebration was hosted by President Amy Gutmann who also provided remarks during the evening, and used the occasion to announce a new Presidential Challenge Match for undergraduate financial aid.

The fall is always such a fitting time to come together on campus to celebrate the University of Pennsylvania and the alumni, friends, and students who make it so strong. As the largest university in the U.S. with a grant-based financial aid program, this is only made possible because of the generosity of scholarship donors and their shared commitment with Penn to educational accessibility.

View the original article on the University of Pennsylvania website

When Xavier Smith learned he was Tigertown bound in 2016, he had dual feelings of joy and apprehension. How would the cost of his college education be covered?

When he learned he would be a recipient of the Annexstad Family Foundation’s Leaders for Tomorrow scholarship, Smith was both surprised and overjoyed. “I called my entire family,” Smith said, “and they got excited, too.”

His freshman year was one filled with Clemson moments, beginning the very first day. “My roommate is one of my friends from high school, and we spent the day walking around campus meeting new people. Without the Annexstad Family Foundation Scholarship, I wouldn’t be here right now having these moments,” he said.

In addition to campus activities, the scholarship is guiding the biochemistry major along the path to achieving his dreams of going into the medical field. Smith is currently considering both neurology and pharmacy and is thankful for the opportunity to do so.

Like Al and Cathy Annexstad, Smith isn’t letting his past hardships stop him from achieving his goals, and it’s important that those who face similar situations do the same.

“We are delighted that Clemson has chosen to partner with us,” noted co-founder Al Annexstad. “Young people like Xavier represent a huge reservoir of future leaders for the country. We wish him well.”

Full story can be found on Clemson World Magazine

Winona State Univeristy (WSU) students are well known to be bright, hardworking, and dedicated to their education. While each one comes from a different background with a different story to tell, there are some who have faced obstacles harder than most. There are some who may have once thought achieving a college degree seemed unattainable given their life circumstances. However, when others step up and help them achieve success, it not only changes their lives but also instills in them the desire to do the same for others.

WSU student Jessica Harvey Rigby experienced a tumultuous childhood. Her mother, a drug addict, committed suicide when Jessica was just eight years old. When she was 14, her half-sister passed away from leukemia. Her father, an abusive alcoholic suffering from PTSD, also died of leukemia a couple years later. While she spent some time living with relatives, she also spent a period of time living in shelters and foster care. “The experiences in my life could have broken me down irrevocably,” Jessica says. “Instead, I have chosen to let them make me courageous and determined to succeed.” She has since discovered a passion in caring for others, and is working towards achieving her bachelor’s degree in nursing with a minor in child advocacy, with hopes of being able to work with children in some way.

Crystal Becker also had parents who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, both spending time in prison. Her mother passed away in 2008, and she no longer has contact with her father. While she now has a steady family life with her stepmother, she was unable to afford college on her own. So when she learned she was chosen as the recipient of a scholarship at Winona State that would allow her to graduate debt-free, she says, “I cried, immediately feeling a huge amount of stress lifting off my shoulders.” During her difficult childhood, school was Crystal’s safe haven, her fifth-grade teacher – her rock. As a result, her dream is to become a teacher and inspire children the same way her teacher inspired her.

Zaria Smith never saw herself attending college. Although she ultimately changed her mind in order to set an example for her 13 brothers and sisters, she found herself independent after graduating high school, and attending college seemed impossible. About receiving a life-changing scholarship to attend WSU, she says, “this opportunity has driven me further. I feel like I have someone in my corner rooting for me, and that I am not going through this alone.” As a psychology and communications: leadership and advocacy major with a Spanish minor, Zaria plans to attend graduate school to become a guidance counselor. She has been inspired to give back as soon as she is able and hopes to change the world by positively impacting those she meets.

What these three inspiring young women have in common, aside from difficult backgrounds, is that they are all recipients of the Leaders for Tomorrow scholarship at WSU, provided by the Annexstad Family Foundation.

The scholarship helps “exceptionally bright and accomplished students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have overcome extraordinary hardship in their young lives and who have little or no means to pay for college.” The ultimate goal is to allow each scholar to graduate with little to no debt. Working together in close partnership, the University and the Annexstad Family Foundation secure the funds so the goal of graduating debt-free can truly be realized for each Annexstad scholar. For their part, students must continue to fulfill the three requirements of the scholarship: to be enrolled as a full-time student, continue to meet WSU’s academic standards, and stay on track to graduate.

“We thank the Annexstad Family Foundation for their support of these well-deserving students at Winona State,” says WSU President Scott Olson. “These students have shown the promise and perseverance to one day become chosen leaders in their field and, with the help of the Leaders for Tomorrow scholarship, are realizing futures they never thought possible and learning the importance of giving back. Together, we’re all working to improve our world.”

Full story can be found on the Winona State University website