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 570 scholarships totaling $1,276,250 to date – empowering students connected with RTO to pursue college degrees, technical credentials, and successful futures.
Arrington Rose of Fort Smith, Arkansas – one of the 47 deserving 2025 APRO Scholarship recipients – is majoring in Biomedical Professions at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, pursuing her dream job as an anesthesiologist.
“I realized healthcare was my calling at a young age,” Arrington explains. “I used to play doctor, and any time a sibling had even a minor scratch, I’d fetch the first-aid kit and ‘doctor them up.’ I’ve always wanted to be helpful, especially with living things – people, animals, even plants. Whenever I saw a need, I did my best to try to meet it. And medicine has always fascinated me in the way it can restore both health and hope.”
Throughout her youth, Arrington has found many ways to help out in her community, from leading her school history club to help preserve local historical monuments to joining the Read Across America reading motivation and awareness program. Arrington especially enjoys working with and inspiring younger kids, having coached city little-league teams, worked at a sports camp for children with special needs, and even given scientific dissection demonstrations. She’s also very involved at her church in various activities, including helping run the Vacation Bible School program.
Arrington says she grew up understanding the importance of helping others, hard work, and determination thanks to her mom, Julie Rose, who has worked at SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One as the Fort Smith Store Manager since 2023.
“As a single mother of five, my mother has made countless sacrifices – putting her own needs second to ours – to ensure my siblings and I have a chance to dream beyond our circumstances,” notes Arrington. “I model my own perseverance off of hers every day.”
According to Arrington, rent-to-own has made a big impact on her family in more ways than one; it has not only provided her mom with a great job and solid income, but also given her sister Aspen some critical assistance.
“Recently, my sister – who has a baby girl – found herself in a tough financial situation and in need of a new washer,” Arrington relates. “Buying a new appliance upfront wasn’t financially feasible for her, and charging it with a credit card didn’t seem responsible. So she decided to go to Rent One. With small weekly payments and the potential for ownership, it was the perfect solution. Later, she opted to rent more items for her home – a rug, a lamp, and a bed frame. Rent-to-own has made it easy for her to get things she needed at the moment without a big financial burden.
“Watching my sister go through this experience helped me see how RTO can be crucial when you’re facing an emergency or have no other workable options,” continues Arrington. “But it also helps if you just want to save money and stay financially responsible. And above all, I’ve learned how resilience and smart planning can turn a short-term fix into a stepping stone toward stability.”
Arrington appreciates her APRO scholarship, sponsored by the Arkansas Rental Dealers Association, because of the financial support it provides, of course, and because of what it represents to her.
“This scholarship symbolizes a recognition of my diligence and my commitment to community and education,” Arrington concludes. “I plan to go to medical school, which is a significant expense, and I want to ease some of the financial weight off of my mom as well as be able to focus in on my studies, rather than having to work during the school year. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but I know there’s still so much more I want to accomplish – and this APRO scholarship is helping me achieve my ultimate goal of helping others.”
Arrington’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.
