AAD Alumna Gives Back: Barbara Banks

Barbara Banks, AAD Class of 2009, supports AAD through the Dream Club, our monthly giving society with giving levels from $10 to $200 per month. Barbara shares about why she chose to join the Dream Club…

Giving to Achievable Dream was important to me because I know firsthand the good it brings to an at-risk population. I’ve watched many who, statistically, should have failed, or not obtained as much, flourish. I have friends who are doctors, lawyers, dentists, leaders in the educational and business arena, who are first generation graduates coming from low-income, single-parent homes. Some experienced displacement, neglect, abuse and all those things that statistically should have disqualified these resilient Dreamers. The only notable difference between them and others in their communities was attending An Achievable Dream. I’ve known AAD to house those who had nowhere to go, feed those with nothing to eat, stop their day to buy shoes for the student whose shoes were falling apart at the seams. They’ve provided Christmas gifts and Thanksgiving meals for students who may not have otherwise had one. AAD understands Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and meets any need that would prevent a student from accomplishing his or her goals.

AAD has a culture. A culture filled with love, discipline, compassion and independence. At AAD, they cared for us. They cared enough to show us compassion but required excellence. We weren’t allowed to use excuses. They knew us well enough to know when we were defeated or not giving our best, and they knew how to meet us right where we were. They built bonds and established lifelong relationships. Some of my teachers and administrators have become honorary family members who I can still phone today. They taught us character and life skills through daily affirmations and required us to live by them. Today AAD has a larger platform with the ability to continue the great work Walter Segaloff started. As we grow larger and impact more students, I’m confident that the culture I know will remain strong.

On a personal level, I know how AAD has supported me. I was the recipient of AAD’s full-tuition scholarship; I’ve received funds for books, laptops and any other education-related expense I needed. AAD has challenged me professionally, and when I sought to impact the community in my own way, they aided. Whether it was allowing me to utilize their building or work with their students, AAD stepped in to help. I currently give to Old Dominion University’s Violet Endowment fund. So when I saw an affordable way to give to AAD, I thought to myself, “If I can find a way to give to Old Dominion, a school I might not have attended without AAD, I was surely going to find a way to give to ‘the Dream,’ a cause I know to be tried and true.”

AAD taught me the value of believing in myself, obtaining an education and giving back to my community. Those values helped me to obtain my bachelor’s degree in three years, obtain a master’s degree and own a home by age 25. At 27, I started my own business that gives back to the community through tutoring at-risk students for free or a low rate, planning trips that expose those same students to educational experiences they couldn’t normally access, mentoring youth and so much more. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in educational management with hopes to be Dr. Banks by age 30. On January 29, I turned 28 and am beginning dissertation phase so I’m certain it’s possible.

AAD’s foundation inspires me to continue to dream.