Since 2008, 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 611 scholarships totaling over $1.3 million to date – empowering students connected with RTO to pursue college degrees, technical credentials, and successful futures.
Isabelle Hawkinson of Ennis, Montana, is one of the 42 deserving 2026 APRO Scholarship recipients and represents the third generation of her family to benefit from rent-to-own.
“My step-grandfather owned a furniture store in southern Georgia while my stepdad was growing up,” Isabelle says. “Most of my stepdad’s childhood stories have something to do with the store. As a young adult, he worked for his dad, and it inspired him to pursue a career in furniture and sales. Following college, he moved to Montana, where he and his parents launched LTL Investments LLC dba Aaron’s Sales & Rentals, and started opening up stores in Montana and Idaho.”
Isabelle has many fond memories at her stepdad, David Lyons ’ stores, beginning when she was just a preschooler – playing among the showroom furniture sets, jumping on the mattresses, watching movies on the TVs. Today, Lyons owns and operates three successful Aaron’s stores, and his family reaps the rewards.
“Rent-to-own has provided my younger siblings and me with the opportunity to participate in athletics and many other activities,” says Hawkinson. “I reached my dream of playing collegiate volleyball as a real result of RTO, my stepdad’s stores, and everything it has given our family.”
A Track Record of Success
Isabelle has definitely shown her determination, discipline, and dedication in achieving her goals to date. She graduated from high school as co-valedictorian and served as class president of the student council and student body president during her senior year. A member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, and the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, Isabelle also served as president of the student advisory board for a fundraising nonprofit, worked at a summer day camp for kids, and volunteered with a sustainable agriculture group.
“My participation in all these activities taught me the importance of teamwork, work ethic, organization, leadership, and community,” Isabelle says. “These experiences have fundamentally changed the way I see and approach both academic and professional life.”
From One Court to Another
Additionally, Isabelle is an accomplished athlete, having competed on her high school’s track & field and volleyball teams, as well as on a club volleyball team. Now, as a freshman at New Jersey’s Montclair State University, Isabelle plays on the women’s volleyball team and is studying criminal justice with the intention of attending law school.
“I want to stand up for those who can’t do so for themselves, and get justice for victims of violent crimes as a prosecutor,” says Isabelle. “I’m a huge true-crime documentary and podcast fan; then as a junior, I took a criminology class and found myself fascinated by criminal profiling, as well as the process of investigating and solving crimes. I hope to be the person who helps families and individuals, especially those affected by sexual violence and homicides, get the justice they deserve.”
Isabelle’s story 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.
About LTL Investments LLC dba Aaron’s Sales & Rentals
LTL Investments LLC has been an APRO member since 2008.
