Rent-to-own News - Making the grade: second round of industry scholarships awarded

A new round of RTO industry scholarship checks are headed to eight students who finished the fall semester with a 3.0 grade point average or better.

College bound rental industry family members were awarded $35,000 in collective scholarships from both the APRO Education Foundation and the newly established RNR Faye Sutton Scholarship Fund last summer. Recipients earned half of their scholarships with the second half pending on their academic performance in the fall semester.

So far, the following scholarship recipients have submitted grades and earned their second scholarship installments:

Christian Dunlap, Hillsboro, OH
Southern State Community College:  Hillsboro, OH
APRO Sponsor: Nancy Dunlap, Countryside Rentals, Bainbridge, OH

$2,000 Scholarship Recipient

Christian recently graduated high school with a 3.98 GPA as a member of the National Honors Society. Christian spent his high school years as a treasurer for the 4H club, High School Football Captain and the FFA. Christian also took time out as a mentor and tutor fellow classmates. Christian will be attending Southern State Community College to then transfer to Ohio State University. 

Michael Elkik, Kennesaw, GA
University of Georgia: Athens, GA
APRO Sponsor: Ann Elkik, Aaron’s, Kennesaw, GA

$1,000 Scholarship Recipient

Elkik graduated high school with a weighted 4.1 GPA and an un-weighted 3.8 GPA. During high school, he worked with “Shop with a Mustang” sponsoring an underprivileged child. Michael was president of DECA, the school’s business club, and won business competitions at the local, state and international levels.

Faith Jennings, Nicholasville, KY
University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY
APRO Sponsor: Brent Jennings, RAC, Nicholasville, KY

$3,000 Scholarship Recipient

Jennings' high school credits include captain of the speech team and academic team. She was a member of the Beta Club, National Honor Society and a member of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar. She was salutatorian of her graduating class that led her to the University of Kentucky. She spent her first two years there participating in “UK Fusion” where she and classmates volunteer in community service events in Lexington. She has already donated 60 hours of community service while maintaining a 3.7 GPA earning a spot on the Dean’s List every semester but one.

Kiersten Scheele, Zanesville, OH
University of Toledo: Toledo, OH
APRO Sponsor: Jerry Scheele, RAC, Zanesville, OH

$2,500 Scholarship Recipient

Scheele graduated high school with a 4.0 and an Honors Diploma. She volunteered for the local animal shelter and the Salvation Army while working her part-time job. At the University of Toledo, she is a member of the Dean’s list and was recently accepted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society due to her academic excellence. She also spent her freshman and sophomore years volunteering for the American Red Cross and 80 hours of volunteer work for children with disabilities to help her fulfill her goal obtaining a degree in occupational therapy.

Kaylie Scherer, Bloomington, Indiana
Indiana University: Bloomington, Indiana
APRO Sponsor: Rick Scherer, American Rental, Bloomington, Indiana

$3,000 Scholarship Recipient

Both Scherer's grandmother and father have worked for American Rental for twenty years and “rent-to-own has always been a part of my life," she writes in her application.

She graduated high school in the national honor society with an Academic Honors Diploma. She was recently accepted into the Washington Leadership Program where she spent a semester in Washington, D.C. as an intern. During her college years, she travelled to Mexico to help build homes for the homeless. She has also volunteered for Special Olympics, the Community Kitchen, the local food bank, nursing homes and by teaching gardening at the local elementary schools.

Smith completed her junior year at North Carolina State University. Her family grew up struggling through economic hard times but always kept a focus on education. She was awarded a fellowship from the Organizational Science Summer Institute and studied abroad in Mexico. She has volunteered for Salvation Army. Tutors middle school children as a part of work-study program and volunteers for the “Strengthening the Black Family” non-profit helping with diabetes prevention and promoting health and wellness.

RNR Faye Sutton Scholarships Fund Winners:

The nation's largest wheel and tire rental franchise company, Rent-n-Roll Custom Wheels and Performance Tires, last year, established a scholarship fund in honor of company president Larry Sutton's mother, Faye.

Both RNR Scholarship winners took home a $2,500 award and both earned the second installment with a 3.0 grade point average or better this fall semester.

Recipients are as follows:

Jessica Darnell from Rogers, Arkansas is attending Northwest Arkansas Community College sponsored by APRO Members David Harrison & Geron Vail headquartered in Fayetteville, AR

Brandon Burrell from Mobile, AL is a student at the University of Southern Alabama studying Criminal Justice and was sponsored by APRO member Shannon and Cynthia Strunk.

Read more about the APRO Scholarship Foundation here.