APRO Scholarship applications are now open! For more than 15 years, the APRO Charitable Foundation has annually provided scholarships to rent-to-own professionals and their families. APRO members have contributed generously to the APRO Scholarship Fund – awarding 522 scholarships totaling $1,180,250 to date – empowering students connected with RTO to pursue college degrees and successful futures.
Leigh-Anne Rossette of Tucson, Arizona – one of the 39 deserving 2024 APRO Scholarship recipients – is a talented violinist who wants to share not just her musical gift but her passion for music with future generations. A University of Arizona freshman studying Music Education, Leigh-Anne has rent-to-own to thank for her college opportunities as well as her father Alvaro Rossette’s professional happiness.
“My dad has worked in RTO for more than 20 years,” Leigh-Anne says. “He’s been with [Affordable Rent To Own, LLC dba] Affordable Sales & Rentals since 2013, and is currently the Store Manager of the North Tucson location. We’ve struggled financially in the past, but now my dad has an extremely supportive work community that helps each other out, as well as a boss who is very loving and generous. He loves what he does.”
Leigh-Anne began learning the violin in fifth grade, and quickly progressed to playing an advanced repertoire and performing with honor orchestras. Over the years, she spent innumerable hours practicing so she could succeed in the competitive arena of orchestral auditions.
In the 5th and 6th grades, Leigh-Anne participated in the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra’s Dorothy Vanek Youth Concerto Competition. She played with her middle school’s Symphonic Orchestra, then served as concertmaster (the leader of the first violin section, who acts as a liaison between the conductor and the rest of the orchestra) with her high school’s Honors Orchestra. She also auditioned for and participated in the Southern Arizona Regional Orchestra each year throughout high school, and as a senior, was a candidate for the Arizona All-State Orchestra.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get in,” laments Leigh-Anne. “But the experience gave me room to look at what I needed to improve, and to grow as both a musician and a person. It’s important to reflect on your mistakes and work hard to improve on them so that you can perform better moving forward.”
Proving her point, Leigh-Anne aced her audition for the University of Arizona School of Music, becoming the first in this generation of her family to attend college. She’s pursuing her degree in Music Education rather than Music Performance because she wants to help provide the next generation of musicians with greater opportunities.
“On the south side of Tucson, where I grew up, there’s a need for better music curriculum and funding in public schools,” Leigh-Anne attests. “I was in public schools with no access to private violin lessons, and when I got to the university, catching up was a challenge! So my dream job is to be a school orchestra conductor or private-lesson instructor, and to advocate for music education in the public school system.”
APRO Scholarship applications are open through April 25, 2025 – just click here: https://www.rtohq.org/apro-scholarship-fund.
Leigh-Anne’s is one of the dozens of positive stories that generous donations from the RTO community make happen each year. Click here to learn more and contribute to this invaluable industry effort.
