Darren E. Lee Scholarship

The Darren E. Lee Scholarship has been established to honor the memory of a man of great integrity who unconditionally loved and selflessly gave with a joyful heart.  Darren had a passion for education and the apartment industry that was second to none, and was a strong supporter of AAGO as a volunteer instructor and Board Member.  He was committed  to ensuring those with the desire would be given the opportunity to receive a quality education and he took great pride in developing the careers of so many in the industry.  While Darren is missed, his spirit will continually grow through the recipients of the scholarship bearing his name.

The Darren E. Lee Scholarship was established in 2007, and has enabled almost 125 individuals to advance or pursue a career in apartment management!

Candidates for the scholarship may include:

• Individuals interested in one of many apartment industry careers such as: leasing, management, maintenance, or vendor/supplier account executive.
• Current property management professionals who are unemployed or unable to absorb the cost of a qualifying education opportunity offered by AAGO.

What does the scholarship cover?

• If your application is approved the D.E.L Scholarship will pay a portion of the education program you qualified for.  Funding amount is determined by available scholarship funds, eligibility, and the cost of the program.
• Recipients have received financial assistance for programs such as Leasing As a Career, Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT), Certified Apartment Manager (CAM), EPA Certification, Certified Pool Operator (CPO), and more.  Due to the overwhelming number of applicants that are applying, we have limited the number of students who may receive a scholarship towards their CAM designation to 1 student in the spring and 1 student in the fall for a total of 2 CAM students per calendar year.   There will be 1 CAMT student per calendar year for the fall series.
• The D.E.L Scholarship does NOT cover programs offered outside of the AAGO.  (i.e. College Courses or those offered by competing institutions.)

To apply for the scholarship please download the application here.

To view the official criteria please click here (Note, you are required to sign and return this form along with your application).

For more information on the scholarship or to contribute to it please contact Cynthia Cruz, Education Coordinator at 407-644-0539 or education@aago.org.

Scholarship Recipient Testimonials

"My name is Jesse Hamilton, and I am one of the Darren E. Lee scholarship recipients. When I heard about the scholarship via AAGO’s website I was thrilled to learn about this opportunity to acquire more knowledge and progress within the apartment industry. I have been part of the apartment industry since 2011 and have taken the following courses at AAGO: EPA, R410A, CPO, HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing courses. In addition, I have also acquired my WDO through NACHI. I sought my CAMT to put me ahead of the game because I am always striving for education to better myself and to educate others. So when I was chosen as the Darren E. Lee Scholarship recipient, I was honored. My long-term goal is to attain a Regional Manager position and I am confident that my CAMT experience will play a role in my ability to achieve this role."

 Jesse Hamilton, CAMT

Darren E. Leet Scholarship Recipient

"The Darren E. Lee Scholarship and educational opportunities allowed me to learn valuable insights and skills that I was able to apply in my day to day activities as a property manager. I made lasting connections with other industry professionals, relationships that I still have today! Industry peers, mentors and leaders that have provided me with impactful resources, advice and became lasting friends. I connected with AAGO and have been a volunteer, teacher and supporter for AAGO ever since."

Maria Filippone 

Manager, Marketing

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