Aspire Scholars – Aspire Arizona Foundation

Meet Aspire Scholars

Aspire Scholar Crystal Kubby

Crystal Kubby, 2017 Payson High School Graduate

Crystal Kubby was a part of the first Aspire Scholars cohort. As a 2017 Payson High School graduate attending Arizona State University the following semester, she was grateful for the
opportunity to take a handful of dual credit courses and get a head start on college. The dual credit classes gave Crystal the advanced content that she needed to bridge the gap between high school and college.

“I needed Calculus before going to Arizona State University to be successful and without Aspire that class would not have been available to me,” said Crystal. “I was learning higher-level college content, but I had the safety net and support from my teacher that you generally do not get from a traditional college professor.”

Crystal took the dual credit program a leap further by not only taking dual credit courses at Payson High School, but also taking dual credit classes at Gila Community College. It was eye-opening for her as a younger student to interact with college students and gain diverse perspectives and stories that are not typically encountered in a high school setting. It also helped her adjust to college norms. “I remember I raised my hand to go to the bathroom in my ENG101 class at the community college, and was told by the professor and my peers that college students don’t do that. The level of responsibility and expectations were different.”

Crystal’s advice for students:
If you are nervous or unsure about college: try dual enrollment. It helps you transition from high
school to college and gives you a safety net to explore college curriculum. If you plan to pursue university education, then take the leap and sign up for a dual credit class at the college campus. It will open your eyes to what to expect when you get to the university. “I want to let donors know that your little bit of an investment is a life altering and lifelong benefit to students. I’m still so appreciative of the one year I had in the Aspire program before I graduated. It has had a lasting impact on my education and career.”

Crystal earned her Bachelors of Science in Geology from Arizona State University. She is currently working as a full time Geologist at Freeport McMoRan’s Bagdad mine.

KajalDaya

Kajal Daya was 2019 valedictorian of Payson High School, graduating with a 4.2 grade point average, earned a record completion number of dual-credit classes while attending Payson High School. She is currently attending ASU and majoring in chemical engineering. She plans to become a certified pharmacist. The dual-credit program has helped three members of their family.

“Education has always been important to our family. Our mom and dad have always taught us to do our best, make education your number one priority and you will become successful. It has allowed my sister, Priyanka, to graduate with three majors (finance, accounting, and computer information systems) within four years and helped me to get more prepared before starting at the university”.

When asked about the value of the dual-credit program, she stated:

“The Aspire Foundation has impacted my education significantly. The dual credit program has not only allowed me to get a head start on my college education but it has also prepared me for what to expect when transferring to a university. Aspire Foundation has had a strong influence on my success so far that I will forever be grateful for all the opportunities it has presented me. I encourage other individuals to partake in this foundation and take advantage of all the opportunities the foundation has to offer due to the fact it has successfully put me on the right path for my career”.

MichaelCline1

Michael Cline, a fifth-generation Tonto Basin student was the 2020 Payson High School valedictorian and an Aspire Arizona Foundation dual-credit student. He has risen above many challenges. His father operated the machinery needed to drive the support pillars of bridges down to bedrock, which required travel all over the country. So after a divorce, his dad decided to move back to Tonto Basin — where Michael could live with his grandmother and have a stable home and education. Most of the year, his father was away. But every night his dad called him and asked Michael to share his day. Every summer, he would travel with his dad to the job sites.

“I learned a lot of stuff on the job. I know the basics of pile driving. He taught me a lot about it. Essentially, it taught me to always look forward. It’ll be better on the other side. Focus on the future more than what happened in the past.”

His coach Jonathan Ball, advised the scrappy, 5’8” tall Cline to become a sprinter.

“Not doing it”, said Cline. “Gonna be a shot putter”.

“Bad idea”, said the coach, eyeing Cline’s slender 160 pound frame.

“Gonna be a shot putter”, said Cline. And so he became a shot putter and discus thrower, substituting grit for body mass. Year by year, he got better. This year, he would have gone to the state tournament, if the virus hadn’t canceled it.

Outside of training to throw a 16-pound shot put as far as he could, he also loved fiddling with engines — like his neighbor’s lawnmower. He decided he’d become a mechanical engineer.

Now he’s got a $72,000 scholarship to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, with a year of classes already under his belt.
In his speech, he celebrated his teachers — especially the tough ones who demanded his best, further stating:

“So to this class of 2020 be proud of yourself, don’t look on these last few months with self-pity because you missed the prom or an award assembly or a concert or a track meet. Be proud of your hard work, resilience, and tenacity to make it to the finish. Take the time to work on yourself, to be a better person every day, and to hold fast to your values to meet the expectations to become the best version of yourself. The winning results come from your hard work, learning from failure, and above all else being persistent. Set your goals and remember they should never be too easy. After all, the choice is always yours to improve.”

When asked about the impact that the Aspire Foundation has had on his life, he stated:

“The Aspire Foundation has impacted my education significantly. The Dual Credit Program has not only allowed me to get a head start on my college education but it has also prepared me for what to expect when transferring to a university.”

Michael was also the guest speaker at the MHA Foundation’s Black and White Ball of 2020 (the fundraiser for Aspire Arizona Foundation) in which he shared:

“I’ve been accepted to six universities for engineering, all with scholarships.”

He has graduated with his first year of college already completed, thanks to the innovative program that pays the tuition for college courses at the Payson High School campus. Cline shared he had never attended such an event, but now hopes to graduate, get a good job and,

“Come back to buy a table at the Black and White Ball.”