My Christmas List for the Aim Higher Foundation

By: Ricky Austin

Christmas is coming. Your schedule is double-booked, and you are still hunting down at least 10 addresses from friends and family who moved this past year for your Christmas cards. I get it (and I feel you!). The last thing you need is a lengthy newsletter column to read. . .so I’ll (try to) keep this short.

Here’s my Christmas list for the Aim Higher Foundation in 2025:

1. 1. More Aim Higher Scholarships: It wouldn’t be an Aim Higher list if our “one thing” wasn’t at the top, right? The life-changing benefits of a Catholic school and the continued demand from families to give those to their children drive what we do. And we won’t rest until Catholic schools are accessible to all! I did contemplate for a second making “More Aim Higher Scholarships” my entire list, saying Merry Christmas, and signing my name. Instead, I’m going to ask for a couple more things that make our one thing possible (but that would’ve been good, wouldn’t it have been?).
   2. Continued Excellent Leadership from Our Board and Committees: It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to our Board Members. This month, Aida Schaefer is finishing her 6-year term. Aida oversaw our finances as Treasurer during the most expansive period of growth in our history. We said thank you at the Night of Light and at our last board meeting. Aida—thank you, again, truly. As we start the new year, we are welcoming another extraordinary cohort of new directors and non-director committee members. One key ingredient to our momentum and growth (increasing the number of scholarships from 700 to 2,550 these last 7 years) has been the passion, commitment, and expertise of our board. A “movement” like Aim Higher’s needs to continue to attract top talent every year and we’re on a real roll here.
   3. School Choice Legislation: If you’ve talked to me in the last month, you know I can’t stop talking about this right now. Too many children don’t have access to the quality of education they deserve. And we need all hands-on deck to change that reality. TIMSS scores (an international academic assessment) came out a couple of weeks ago. The story of academic declines is even worse than we thought. Watch this space closely over the next couple of months.
   4. Your Continued Support: When all is said and done, the Aim Higher Foundation— our “one thing,” our 2,500 scholarships, our amazing team and board, and the urgency and passion we feel to keep making Catholic schools accessible for more children—all of that is only possible because of you. As we close at this year and say Merry Christmas, we want to say thank you. We also dare to ask for more. Through your prayers, your vocal support to your friends and family, and your donations throughout the year, we’re making a real, tangible difference in the lives of thousands of children and families.

Merry Christmas!

Ricky Austin
President
Aim Higher Foundation

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