Saad Zai was a hard-working student throughout his years at Achieve Charter Academy (ACA), a charter public K-8 school in Canton. On the day he graduated from eighth grade, Saad received recognition unusual for students his age — a scholarship for higher education. Saad was one of three students to receive a scholarship under a new program launched by the charter school’s board in 2024.
“It was awesome. Just amazing,” says Uzma Ghayur, Saad’s mother and proud advocate of ACA. “It’s a big thing and it’s definitely huge for families.” Saad’s two older brothers attended ACA and are now college students at the University of Michigan. She hopes for the same for Saad.
This fall, Saad took his place at the International Academy East Campus in Troy, a school Ghayur says he is well prepared for, thanks to the academic rigor he experienced at ACA.
“ACA is a small school where kids and teachers are very well connected. It’s a free education and a good class of education. What else could you want for your child?” she says.
Why did Achieve Charter Academy board members establish a scholarship program?
ACA’s charter school board members wanted to create a special way to serve students and make a meaningful impact, so in 2023 the board established a scholarship program.
“Many of our students are first-generation Americans and some are the first generation that will enter college. Getting them to think about college earlier was one of our motivations,” explains Emily Riehm, current board member and former teacher at ACA. Riehm found an objective third-party organization to help design the scholarship, develop a rubric and manage the funds, since students won’t be using the award for four years, at a minimum.
“We decided on three scholarships at $2,000 each. Two Academic Achievement Awards, which are focused on academics and extracurricular activities, and at least one of those recipients need to have attended Achieve K-8 to encourage attendance through middle school,” Riehm says. “Interestingly, both of our academic recipients attended our school K-8.”
The third scholarship is the Moral Focus Award and was designed to recognize students who aren’t necessarily the highest academic achievers, but display effort, have great character and go above and beyond. As a National Heritage Academy, ACA supports a morals and virtues program throughout the year. “Our third scholarship rubric is weighted on moral focus and their volunteering experience. They needed to write an essay about how they demonstrated at least one of those moral focus elements,” she says.
Applications for all three scholarships included a letter of recommendation from a teacher or coach. “We had some really fantastic letters,” says Riehm.
The board worked with the outside organization to select the winners and presented the awards at the eighth grade graduation ceremony in June — before an auditorium filled with parents, families and younger siblings.
ACA’s first scholarship winners are Saad Zai, Donovan Walker, and Riya Mehta.
“The students just went wild when they heard the winners. They were so supportive and excited. It was wonderful,” says Riehm, adding that scholarship winners received yard signs proclaiming their accomplishments.
Gratitude for the robust educational experience, from a scholarship recipient
After the ceremony, all three recipients attended the next board meeting to express their gratitude.
Donovan Walker described ACA as more than a school, but a second home where he was able to realize his full potential as a student-athlete and member of the National Junior Honor Society.
“To the board of directors, I want to say thank you and let you know that I’m honored and blessed to have been awarded this scholarship. Your generosity has made a significant impact on me and gave me the motivation to excel and stay confident as I march into my next chapter.”
Donovan beautifully expressed the purpose of the scholarship program — and the school itself. When a student is encouraged to recognize their potential early in their education, they can “march into their next chapter” with a better understanding of the impact of their choices.
“Connecting with them about the fact that higher education costs money and to encourage them to start thinking about scholarships,” Riehm says. “We’re hoping to create a more purpose-driven look at what they’re doing now as eighth graders.”
One of the few schools to offer scholarships in eighth grade
As a charter school located in Plymouth-Canton, which is a competitive academic environment, ACA knows that the education students receive is rigorous and inclusive. Students here receive a level of education “commensurate with private schools,” Riehm says. Like all Michigan charter schools, ACA is tuition-free and open to all students.
“We’re looking at these students and their future endeavors and their careers and we want them to have that leg up,” Riehm says. “And, we, as a board, have collaborated with administration about ways we can also encourage students who may go on to alternative forms of higher education. A lot of students have great skill sets that aren’t necessarily only academic. We made sure these scholarships can be utilized for all types of higher education, including trade schools.”
ACA is one of the very few to offer scholarships long before students graduate from high school. The board hopes to grow the program and offer additional scholarship awards in the future. With an eighth grade class of about 90 students, scholarships are realistic and achievable.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity and the level of education that Achieve provides to students for free. When I grew up, you didn’t have the same opportunities. There were no charter schools, there was no school of choice,” Riehm says. “I know after doing this, I hope every school will consider this for their eighth graders because it’s been really powerful.”
Content sponsored by Grand Valley State University Charter Schools Office. Learn more about Achieve Charter Academy and GVSU Charter Schools at gvsu.edu/cso. Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s Guide to Michigan Charter Schools.