Student Spotlight | Kyriq & Khalil McDonald, Eagle Pointe

January 02, 2018

In 2000, the Alabama Affordable Housing Association (AAHA) created a scholarship program for residents of member-owned apartment properties in Alabama. The scholarship funds are donated by the owners, contractors, architects, accountants, property management companies, investors, lenders, developers, and various vendors that make up AAHA's membership as well as other non-member individuals. Since its inception, the AAHA resident scholarship fund has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships.

Meet the McDonald brothers of Eagle Pointe in Madison:

Twenty-year-old Khalil received an AAHA resident scholarship for two years before accepting a University of South Alabama football scholarship for his junior year. The Jaguars linebacker said the AAHA scholarship was a huge benefit. "I wasn't on football scholarship for my freshman and sophomore years. I was a walk-on, so most of my funds came out of pocket or loans," said Khalil. "The AAHA scholarship certainly did help."

Younger brother Kyriq, 17, is attending the University of Alabama. Also a football player, he was selected for an AAHA scholarship before receiving a football scholarship. AAHA still chose to recognize him as an honorary resident scholarship recipient for 2017. The Crimson Tide freshman said, "The free education is about getting my degree. I'm majoring in business and ultimately want to pursue mechanical engineering."

The McDonald brothers were encouraged to apply for AAHA resident scholarships by the manager of Eagle Pointe Apartments, the 48-unit affordable housing development in Madison, where they live with their mother.

Khalil offered this sage advice about college to Kyriq and all incoming students, "It's about time management and knowing yourself. If you didn't have that self-control in high school, then you have to adapt and learn as you go. If you don't adapt, you fall behind."

For more information about the resident scholarship program, please contact Arrice Faught, AAHA's executive director at [email protected] or 205.758.1158.