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A. Lois Hightower-Jackson, Inc. is a Missouri nonprofit corporation formed in 2022 to serve the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area.  Its sole focus is the awarding of scholarships to high school seniors who wish to continue their education.  President Leo Jackson has chosen to honor his late mother for her many years of working faithfully alongside members of her church’s Missions Department as they awarded annual scholarships to the needy and underprivileged. ALHJ’s scholarships, in addition to being awarded to students enrolling in traditional college curricula, will also provide funding to students who desire a vocational technical education.

 

The Board and Committee members represent many years of service to the Kansas City community.  The decision to award scholarships to students who have maintained at least a 2.0 grade-point average takes into consideration the reality that many high school students are required to work to assist their families. 


Each fall, local churches, civic and fraternal organizations, and local news and social media outlets receive an announcement of the availability of our scholarships. 

 

Applications are required to be submitted on-line starting September 1, 2024 thru December 31, 2024.  Scholarships are limited to high school seniors living in the Kansas City vicinity including Missouri counties of Jackson, Clay, Cass and Platte, and Kansas counties of Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas and Leavenworth.  Awards are announced no later than March 15, 2025.

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Board President:  Leo Jackson, Jr. is the son of Deacon Leo Jackson, Sr., and the late Mrs. A. Lois Hightower-Jackson.  He was reared in a home anchored in strongly-held Christian values as well as a commitment to quality education.  Leo’s desire to preserve the legacy of his mother’s strong commitment to both has manifested in the formation of “A. Lois Hightower-Jackson, Inc.”  The primary objective of this 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation is the annual search for qualified applicants and the subsequent awarding of scholarships to deserving high school seniors.  As President of the Board of Directors, Mr. Jackson is responsible for day-to-day operations, including oversight of community outreach and fundraising, distribution and collection of applications for scholarships, and plans for the annual scholarship awards dinner.

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Board Vice President:  Khouri E. Jackson, is the granddaughter of A. Lois Hightower-Jackson; she joins in her father’s dedication to the preservation of her grandmother’s legacy as a devout Christian woman and an educator.  As Vice President, Ms. Jackson will assist the President and, when necessary, she will be available to perform any and all administrative duties required. 

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Board Secretary:  Attorney Annette M. Jackson-Taylor is a retired trial lawyer.  Her service on Boards of nonprofits began over forty years ago when she was appointed to the Board of the American Red Cross. She continues today, serving as Secretary of the Board of Surviving the Odds, a breast cancer foundation serving minority women in the Kansas City area.  Her role consists of maintaining the corporate records and other accompanying duties and engaging with nonprofits for the purpose of seeking out partners for the purpose of increasing both the numbers of our available scholarships and the dollar amounts of the annual awards.   

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Board Treasurer: James Coleman is a Certified Public Accountant who holds an MBA in Finance.  With more than forty-five years of experience, James is highly respected throughout Kansas City’s business community.   He has a reputation for being both available and highly visible as a volunteer for various church and civic organizations.   James will be responsible for financial record-keeping and for compiling all necessary financial reports and statements. 

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Board Member:  Cynthia M. Smith, prominent for over four decades within the Kansas City corporate community, is a widely-respected Human Resources Professional.  She currently owns and operates a private Human Resources consulting firm.    Her expertise with nonprofits is rooted in many years of service as Board Chairperson for the KCMC Child Development Corporation.  A tireless volunteer within both the civic and church community, Ms. Smith has served for sixty years as a musician; she also serves as a church Trustee and delegate to national and district church conferences.  Ms. Smith’s role is to engage with other nonprofits for the purpose of obtaining partners, thereby ensuring our ability to increase both the dollar amounts of our scholarships and the number of annual scholarship recipients.   

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Chairman, Scholarship Selection Committee:

H. David Whalen is a Financial Advisor whose lectures on financial astuteness are highly acclaimed throughout the community.   Per Internal Revenue Code regulations, he is not permitted to hold a seat on the Board of Directors.  Mr. Whalen has been engaged with local nonprofits since his youth, and in 2018, he founded “Bow Ties and Ties Marketing, Inc.,” an organization previously directed by him and aimed at bolstering self-esteem among African-American youth.   Mr. Whalen’s Committee reviews and examines scholarship applications, makes decisions on finalists, and forwards that information to the Secretary. To ensure compliance with Internal Revenue Code regulations, Mr. Whalen will also oversee the tracking of scholarship funds to ensure funds are spent solely on appropriate education-related activities.  

A. Lois Hightower-Jackson, Inc., (ALHJ, Inc) is committed to providing scholarships to area high school seniors who desire to either attend college or vocational technical school.  As we strive to increase our annual awards, our leadership team is tasked with networking through organizations such as Nonprofit Connect Kansas City or our local churches and civic and fraternal organizations.   However, donations received from you, the private individual, or your family, or your group of friends and acquaintances--those donations are critical and greatly appreciated.  We thank you

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Please mail your donations to:

PO Box Office 414162

Kansas City, MO 64141

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Online donations:

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News from Our Recipients

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"I'm majoring in business with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship and innovation. I've also started a Women of color support group called WU Sisterhood. This group was made to advocate for women of color and bring them together"

Alexis Mitchell, 3rd year student at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas

2024 Scholars

Past Scholars

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2023 Scholarship Recipients (left to right) Alissa Harris, President Leo Jackson, Jr., Alexis Mitchell and Nathaniel Shepard.  Not shown are recipients TyJanae Hooks and Sheldon Schieffer.

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