Meet Our Board of Directors: Aida Higuerey Schaefer

Through a new Meet Our Board of Directors news series, we invite Aim Higher supporters and friends to meet the amazingly talented and dedicated individuals who give so much of themselves to the students and families we serve.

Aida Higuerey Schaefer (right), member of Board of Directors, delivers Aim Higher scholarship support to Faithful Shepherd school community during the Foundation’s Check Delivery Marathon on March 5.

We are pleased to introduce Mrs. Aida Higuerey Schaefer. Aida has served on Aim Higher Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2018. Aida’s financial acumen has been invaluable to the organization, serving her entire six years on the Board’s Finance Committee, four as Chair and as Treasurer. Aida grew up in Venezuela, New York, and France. She is trilingual and has a deep respect for diverse perspectives. Aida is owner and CEO of Incentive Development Corporation (IDC) as well as CEO and co-founder of Tadpole Giant, LLC. Previously, she dedicated her time as a financial strategist to Best Buy and to Northwest Airlines. Aida has served in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years both at board level and volunteer level.

When asked, “Why Aim Higher?” Aida shares that she feels a very personal connection to the Foundation’s mission. “My dad, and hence all of his descendants, benefitted from someone’s generosity to rise out of poverty. As a child in Venezuela, my father’s godfather provided him a place to live, food, a stipend for school supplies, shoes, and clothes so that he might be able to attend middle school and high school. He received similar support to attend college and graduate school. My dad went on to become a successful entrepreneur. Meanwhile, my mother worked tirelessly at a foundation providing scholarships and stipends for Venezuelans to attend college in the US. Together, my parents insisted we aim high in our education and honor our responsibility to help others obtain their education.”

Aida’s daughter, Graciela, has volunteered with the Aim Higher Foundation during her high school years. She accompanied her mother during the Check Delivery Marathon and is shown here with Archbishop Hebda and Ricky Austin, Aim Higher President at the preceding Bagels and Blessing gathering.

This personal connection is made even stronger when visiting schools. “When I go to the schools the Aim Higher Foundation serves, especially those with a higher Hispanic population, I see myself as a little girl at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic School in New York, learning English, learning about our faith, learning to live our values. I am honored to be a part of the team that makes it possible for better than 1 out of every ten kids to attend a Catholic school in our Archdiocese. I am amazed and grateful that the Aim Higher Foundation makes it possible for so many kids to have a shot at rising out of poverty, becoming active citizens, and hopefully choosing to support others by giving back to their communities in the future.  We are starting to see the fruits of our first K-8 grants as those first scholars graduate from high school and college. I don’t know them personally, but I see my dad in every one of them and I am overjoyed. Imagine the return on this investment!”