NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- An Achievable Dream (AAD) announced Charlie and Mari Ann Banks as the sponsors of the Class of 2019 during the 26th Annual Tennis Ball gala on Saturday, November 17. As class sponsors, the Banks will provide annual merit scholarships for each member of the class for each year they attend college and maintain a certain grade point average. The graduates of the Class of 2019, who were honored in a special ceremony at the 26th Annual Tennis Ball, will be known as the Charlie and Mari Ann Banks Scholars.
"We chose to sponsor the Achievable Dream Class of 2019 because they are our future," shares Mari Ann Banks. "It is said that nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm and this class has great enthusiasm! It is up to us to help provide them with the tools and skills to be strong leaders. We are proud to be part of An Achievable Dream."
Class sponsorship of An Achievable Dream graduates is a concept dating from 1992 when the late Walter Segaloff, AAD founder, and local businessman, rallied the Newport News business community behind the program. Each year since 2001, businesses and individuals have stepped forward to serve as class sponsors, ensuring that finances are not a limitation for AAD graduates attending college. On average, 90% of An Achievable Dream graduates have continued to two or four-year college or trade school, while 10% have joined the military or entered the workforce.
Guests at the 26th Annual Tennis Ball celebrated the Class of 2019 and heard from AAD alumna, Rashida Stevens, now an attorney and CPA, during the evening's inspirational program. The program honored the organization's founder, Walter Segaloff, who passed away in 2013, as well as retired president, Kathy Edwards, who served as president and CEO from 2013–2018 and served the organization in various roles for 18 years. Edwards was presented with the honorary Doctor of Dreams.
Walter Segaloff's vision for An Achievable Dream has helped level the playing field for thousands of students since the program's inception in 1992. Segaloff's belief that, "given the right tools and opportunity, all students can succeed," continues to guide An Achievable Dream as they look to the next 25 years.
Previous class sponsors are: the Frank and Marie Blechman Foundation (2001); Mary Hughes, owner, Hampton Roads Harley-Davidson (2002, 2012); Michelle Jacobs, former president of the Lee Group (2003); Chesapeake Bay Seafood House Restaurants, in honor of Alan and Beverley Diamonstein (2004); Caleb and Virginia West and Dollar Tree Stores (2005); Smithfield Foods (2006, 2015); W.M. Jordan Company (2007); Ferguson Enterprises (2008); NC and Linda Hardee (2009, 2010); Bay Electric Company and the Biagas Family (2011); Aubrey and Peggy Layne (2013); Mike and Nancy Petters (2014); Charles and Mari Ann Banks and Ferguson Enterprises (2016); Ferguson Enterprises and the Fass Family (2017); and the Levin and Friedberg Families (2018).
Visit AchievableDream.org to learn more.
About An Achievable Dream:
An Achievable Dream (AAD) develops independent, productive citizens through a Social, Academic, and Moral Education (SAME®) curriculum. Dedicated to the belief that all children can learn and succeed, AAD operates schools in partnership with Newport News Public Schools and Virginia Beach City Public Schools, and AAD Certified Academy in Henrico County near Richmond, Virginia.
SOURCE An Achievable Dream
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