The East Aldine District has as one of the goals in their Service Plan, the furthering of education and leadership for students and residents in their District. To this end, they have been contributing each year to scholarships for Aldine ISD students, through the Aldine Scholarship Foundation.
At a reception last week, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Foundation, representatives from the District presented ASF with a check for $30,000. This will allow two additional named scholarships to be set up in perpetuity, for use at Lone Star College. Making the presentation were David Hawes, EAMD Executive Director, and Clyde Bailey, chairman of the EAMD board. The amount of this scholarship award represents an increase over past years, from $15,000 to $30,000, according to ASF president Bill Townsend, who received the check.
Speaking at the anniversary celebration were Townsend, emcee Reggie Gray of the North Houston Greenspoint Chamber, Stan St. Pierre on the History and the Mission of the ASF, and Dr. Stephen Head, president of Lone Star College-North Harris, on the opportunities that these scholarships provide to Aldine ISD students, and new programs and facilities planned for North Harris college in the future. Dr. Head in particular spoke of a Construction Trades Program that will be started by the college as a response to needs in the community, and the opportunities it will bring to the Aldine area. He also mentioned that LSC encourages high school seniors to have a “mind-set” of going on to college, especially by waving tuition fees for dual credit classes in high school, which gives them a big step into the community college program.
St. Pierre said that since 1989, the Aldine Scholarship Foundation has awarded full tuition scholarships to more than 700 AISD graduates. The goal, he said, is to be able to provide first year tuition and fees to all AISD students that complete their high school graduation.
The Foundation establishes named and planned endowments on behalf of contributors, for the purpose of providing these scholarships. A full endowment takes $15,000, which can be funded over seven years. To date, named scholarships have been contributed by the following:
Aaron Glenn, Aldine ISD, Aldine ISD Faculty Endowment, Aldine Optimist Club, Deanie Merritt, Donnie Dawhorn Memorial, Doris Davis, East Aldine Management District, Gallery Furniture, Glenn and Linda Huntley, Greater Inwood Partnership, Harvey and Yvonne Stotts, Houston-Aldine Lions Club, John E. Pickelman, Lone Star College-North Harris, MacArthur Senior High School, M. B. “Sonny” Donaldson, M.O. Campbell, Motiva, Nadine Kujawa, Niki Myers and Cher Brock Endowed Scholarship, North Houston Bank, North Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce, Richard and Barbara Lee Memorial, Rigsdell Family, Ron and Mary Oruc, Stan and Suzanne St. Pierre, Steve Mead, Steven Parker, Supertravel, Supertravel Aldine Teachers, Texas Pioneer Foundation, W. W. Thorne. Some of these contributors have more that one scholarship in their name.
Additional information about the ASF is available at www.aldinescholarshipfoundation.org, or by calling 832-813-6500.