Rent-to-own News - Making the grade: Seven additional scholarship recipients earn award installment

A new round of APRO Education Foundation scholarship checks are headed to seven students who finished the fall semester with a 3.0 grade point average or better.

College bound rental industry family members were awarded $30,000 in collective scholarships from the APRO Education Foundation last summer. Recipients earned half of their scholarships with the second half pending on their academic performance in the fall semester.

The latest round of APRO scholarship recipients have submitted grades and earned their second scholarship installments:

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

$3,000 Scholarship Winner

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.

Chad Jasman, Bay City, MI
University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI
APRO Sponsor: James Jasman, RAC, Birch Run, MI

$2,500 Scholarship Winner

Jasman grew up with rent-to-own watching his father work for the rent-to-own industry for nearly 20 years.  He graduated High School with a 4.0 GPA and being named as an academic all state athlete and plays college baseball and was named on the 2010 NJCAA Academic All-American team. Whttp://www.rtohq.org/rent-to-own/wp-admin/post-new.phphen Chad is not fielding baseballs, he is volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and the local homeless shelter.

Kassie Barroso, Noblesville, IN
Ivy Tech: Anderson, IN
APRO Sponsor: Joseph Stepke, Aaron’s, Indianapolis, IN

$1,500 Scholarship Winner

Kassie is off to college “as a tribute to her hero” – her dad Joseph Stepke from Aarons. Joseph sacrificed years of hard work to make sure Kassie had the chance for college and she wants to thank her father and mother with a teaching degree. Kassie spent her High School lettering in concert band and on the Rugby team. She participated in the ROTC and many other school activities.

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

$1,000 Scholarship Winner

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.

Dusty Ray, Bridgeport, IL
Vincennes University: Vincennes, IN
Rent One Regional Manager

$1,000 Scholarship Winner

Rent One “Regional Manager of the Year”, Dusty Ray, is completing his marketing degree at Vincennes University. Dusty was also Rent One’s “Employee of the Year”. Dusty is an active member of the local chamber of commerce volunteering time and efforts for the many community events both as a Rent One employee and as a citizen.

Christopher Willman-Bunge, Akron, OH
Penn State: Mont Alto, PA
APRO Sponsor: Martha Willman, Blue Ribbon Rentals, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

$1,000 Scholarship Winner

Willman-Bunge grew up in a one-parent household and knows financial hardship. While in high school, he participated in the orchestra and choir. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with a specialty World Conservation Award. He plans to pursue English as a writer/reporter.

Read about additional 2011 APRO scholarship winners who have also met grade requirements to receive their second scholarship installment checks.