Monday, October 23, 2017

Enjoy the Challenge


“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

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