Earnest, left, with Patterson and Durnil, right

Patterson’s story of perseverance and ingenuity inspires our team at SYF as we work with thousands of at-risk Simon Youth Academy students each year. We take a lot of pride in providing education opportunities that ignite hope in students, giving them the confidence to believe that they can write Patterson-like stories for their future and become successful self-made business people, too.

Given his understanding of how important it is to seize life’s opportunities, it is no surprise that Patterson and AmeriPark are annual supporters of SYF.

On Thursday, March 22, 2012, Patterson presented SYF Board Member Tim Earnest and President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., with a gift of more than $38,000 during an informal reception at Shula’s Steakhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. AmeriPark raised its donation funds through its 2011 Holiday Valet Program at Simon® malls and outlet centers nationwide.

The $38,000 plus gift is enough money to support an entire senior class at one of our Simon Youth Academies through graduation day. That’s 38 lives changed forever. It’s 38 young people who’ll have the hope and the tools to become the next Chip Patterson

Chip Patterson, the CEO of AmeriPark, one of the country’s leading parking management companies, built his business from scratch. While in college, he started parking cars at a local business, paying rent to the property owner for the spaces and keeping the remaining revenue from the valet services he provided. Today, his company still utilizes that model, providing services to more than 150 U.S. corporate clients.

Earnest, left, with Patterson and Durnil, right

Patterson’s story of perseverance and ingenuity inspires our team at SYF as we work with thousands of at-risk Simon Youth Academystudents each year. We take a lot of pride in providing education opportunities that ignite hope in students, giving them the confidence to believe that they can write Patterson-like stories for their future and become successful self-made business people, too.

Given his understanding of how important it is to seize life’s opportunities, it is no surprise that Patterson and AmeriPark are annual supporters of SYF.

On Thursday, March 22, 2012, Patterson presented SYF Board Member Tim Earnest and President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., with a gift of more than $38,000 during an informal reception at Shula’s Steakhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. AmeriPark raised its donation funds through its 2011 Holiday Valet Program at Simon® malls and outlet centers nationwide.

The $38,000 plus gift is enough money to support an entire senior class at one of our Simon Youth Academies through graduation day. That’s 38 lives changed forever. It’s 38 young people who’ll have the hope and the tools to become the next Chip Patterson.

There is not a day that goes by when Lyndsay Konovalchik does not thank her lucky stars she had a second chance to make something positive happen in her life.

Konovalchik is a recent graduate of the Peabody Learning Academy located in the Northshore Mall and is now working at Lahey Clinic in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (P.A.C.U.) as a nursing assistant and loving every minute of it.

Read all of Konovalchik’s story and learn about the impact of the Simon Youth Peabody Learning Academy on students like her at the website for Peabody Patch.

Christine Jessel, a reporter for WUOT radio in Knoxville, Tenn., as well as NPR’s Southern Education Desk, spoke with graduates of the Simon Youth Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy for the story. The Academy operates in partnership between SYF and Knox County Schools.

In the story, Dan Domenich of the American Association of School Administrators says SYF’s strategic model is proving successful.

“Whatever number of students you succeed with is more than you would have had otherwise. And so, when you’re doing something like this, there is no downside. It’s only the benefit that you have been able to save and keep in schools and achieve your goal of providing every child in your school district with a high school diploma,” Domenich tells Jessel.

You can listen to the full story below, and a full transcript is available at the All Things Considered website.

Simon Youth Foundation and its network of non-traditional high schools, called Simon Youth Academies, were featured in a report on National Public Radio‘s All Things Considered during the broadcast on Monday, Feb. 13, 2011.

Christine Jessel, a reporter for WUOT radio in Knoxville, Tenn., as well as NPR’s Southern Education Desk, spoke with graduates of the Simon Youth Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy for the story. The Academy operates in partnership between SYF and Knox County Schools.

In the story, Dan Domenich of the American Association of School Administrators says SYF’s strategic model is proving successful.

“Whatever number of students you succeed with is more than you would have had otherwise. And so, when you’re doing something like this, there is no downside. It’s only the benefit that you have been able to save and keep in schools and achieve your goal of providing every child in your school district with a high school diploma,” Domenich tells Jessel.

You can listen to the full story below, and a full transcript is available at the All Things Considered website.

Larkin, left, with her award

The quote from Burton above is one of three that appeared on

the award plaque that was presented to Larkin on January 24, 2011, when she was named an ExtraordinAIRy Teacher by Williams Comfort Air during a ceremony at the Academy.

Read more Larkin nomination letters and view a video of the award ceremony at the Academy at the SYF blog.

Follow the instructions included in the application packet for submitting your documents to the scholarships program’s independent administrator.

DOWNLOAD THE 2012 SIMON YOUTH FOUNDATION COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION HERE

Students from any school or district in communities that are home to a Simon ® property are eligible to apply for a Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarship. Applications can be obtained at the Guest Services desk inside each Simon mall or outlet center.

You can search for a Simon property in your community at the Simon website.