Aim High St. Louis

LUMINOSITY

Photos and story by Christina Kling-Garrett

Guests of Aim High St. Louis’ Luminosity gala recently gathered in the courtyard at John Burroughs School to celebrate 30 years of helping increase the academic potential of middle school students from economically disadvantaged schools in the metro area. Two Aim High alumnae staged the evening’s entertainment: Ashreale McDowell performed an interpretive dance, while Tashia Tiggs-Ochoa got the crowd moving with salsa instruction. Later in the evening, Jim Kemp received the Keith Shahan Award, and Alec Lee was inducted into The Ruth Todd David Honor Society. Dorvonda Payne, an Aim High alumna and the organization’s development and marketing manager, served as the keynote speaker.

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Aim High’s mission of heightening academic engagement for motivated youth with underrealized potential has become even more important over the past year and a half, as the pandemic further highlighted growing disparities in educational resources for children from traditionally underserved communities. is is particularly true in a city like St. Louis, where the gap in socioeconomic status is so stark, especially in many of the ZIP codes that a majority of our students live. I originally got involved with Aim High as a teaching assistant while attending John Burroughs in the early ’90s because I wanted more kids from neighborhoods like mine to learn early that a commitment to academic excellence could open a world of opportunity for them.

– GEOFFREY RATLIFF,

BOARD PRESIDENT Angie Hagee, Lisa Kelley, Trish Martinez

Nick Sarakas, Cassandra Cooke Tracie Goffe, Linda Churchwell-Varga Mimi and Jim Murphy

Tracey Gutherie, Alison Sheehan, Kelly Edwards, Lisa Acree Julie Angelica, Ellen Moceri, Ellen Sheffield