“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you
approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself
to try new things.” - Nate
Berkus
From an early age, I learned the importance of being a team
player. As a kid, I used to love playing baseball. I played baseball up through
my junior high days at Richland Junior High (now White Station Middle School).
What I really liked about playing for Richland was that I became the utility
fielder. Every game I played a different position, and got the opportunity to
play all nine positions. My coach put me where the team needed me most and I
enjoyed the challenge.
When I was sixteen, I got a job at The Loft Restaurant. I
became the utility worker. One day I was washing dishes, the next I was bussing
tables, the next I was grilling steaks. When I turned eighteen, I added
bartending to that rotation. I did everything from scrubbing pots and pans to
waiting tables. My bosses put me where the team needed me most and I enjoyed the
challenge.
Fast forward to my career in education. I have become the
utility educator. I started off as a P.E. teacher and coach, moved from there
to classroom teacher to director of admissions to principal to president back
to principal to head of school and now the development director of the Jubilee
Schools. My bosses put me where the team needs me most and I still enjoy the
challenge.
Call it a sense of adventure or lack of sense; I enjoy doing
what I need to do to help the team succeed. The desire to succeed is in my
blood not for some sense of pride or an inflated ego. My desire to succeed is
for the good of all team members from students to teachers to support staff to
our donors. I have a passion for the
Jubilee School and all those involved.
“The challenge of the unknown future is so much
more exciting than the stories of the accomplished past.” - Simon Sinek
The Jubilee Schools have an exciting future and a huge
challenge ahead of us. Ugly rumors about our future have surfaced over the past
year and they are just that; ugly rumors. We have over 1,500 students and
roughly 200 staff members in our 9 Jubilee Schools. We are going nowhere but up. We continue to
improve classroom instruction, our test scores continue to rise, and our
graduation and college attendance rates are at 99%, and most importantly, we
are doing all this in areas of Memphis where children are given little hope for
success.
The
next challenge is for us to find ways to continue funding our growth. We want
to continue building a solid future for our children and our community. We want
to give every parent the opportunity to enroll their child(ren) in a Catholic
School; to receive an education strong in academics and Christian
values, all within a structured and nurturing environment.
As the development director, I not
only want to help the students and community, I also want to help donors
achieve their philanthropic goals.
In a speech given to the Germantown Area Chamber of
Commerce, Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal compared Memphis to other cities such as San Francisco and New
York. In those cities, it is what you
can take from those cities. You are
really not making a difference there. “In Memphis, you can make an impact.”
Memphians are
making an impact. Memphis is the 2nd most philanthropic city in the
country and has been for years. Memphians support non-profits of all kinds
especially those that help the children.
At the Jubilee
Schools, we need your continued support to help our children succeed. Without
you investing in our students and their future, the work we do cannot take
place. With you, the future becomes that much more exciting. Those who
support the Jubilee Schools are passionate about helping the youth of our
community in providing them a brighter future. In providing our youth a
brighter future, it also helps make our community a better place for all.
My challenge to you is to make an impact. If you currently
support the Jubilee Schools; THANK YOU! If you would like to join us in
supporting the Jubilee Schools, please accept my challenge in building a
brighter future for our students and community. And together, let’s make an
impact.
In the words of Conor McGregor, “Why
go through life if you're not going to challenge yourself?”
Thanks and God bless you,
Didier Aur
