TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – (Oct. 10, 2019) – SmartStop Asset Management, LLC (“SAM”), sponsor of Strategic Student & Senior Housing Trust, Inc., announced today that Florida State University junior Kyle Aloof has won the company’s YOUnion@Tallahassee Essay Contest and was awarded a $25,000 scholarship.
“Each YOUnion property is designed to provide students with a stable foundation upon which they can build life-long success, including living areas that support studying, learning, wellness and collaboration,” said John Strockis, president of Strategic Student & Senior Housing Trust, Inc. “SmartStop Asset Management is proud to award a talented student like Kyle with a scholarship to help him realize his full potential.”
Opened to U.S. residents 18 years or older who attended Florida State University, Florida A&M University, or Tallahassee Community College for the 2019/2020 academic year, the contest required each entrant to submit a written or video essay that addressed a single topic and question – “College is the most transformative time of your life. How will you change the world after you graduate from college?”
Aloof was awarded the scholarship for his essay which detailed his summer in Sierra Leone, where he taught English and math to students in the fifth and sixth grades. His essay described how he hopes to return to Sierra Leone to transform the local community center and change the lives of the children there should he be awarded the scholarship.
“We are pleased with the many submissions that we received and are impressed at how inspiring each of the responses were,” said Paula Matthews, executive vice president. “In particular, Kyle’s essay caught the attention of our judging panel and highlighted a student with a passion for helping others reach their full potential, a goal that the YOUnion brand has for students at all of its student housing properties.”
Located at 700 W. Virginia St. on 3.71 acres of land, YOUnion@Tallahassee is a 125-unit, 434-bed student housing property just one block from the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. The property provides students with easy access to the Student Union, Business School and North Campus Library and Learning Commons. Floor plans range from one to four bedrooms and each fully furnished unit includes one bathroom per bedroom parity for enhanced privacy. Community amenities include secure access, a 24-hour fitness facility, resort-style pool, computer center, private study rooms, coffee bar and more. Incorporated throughout the property is a fiber optic cable with broadband speeds of one gigabit per second, which supports simultaneous connectivity to multiple devices.
The YOUnion brand focuses on creating modern student living environments, combining the comforts of home with state-of-the-art amenities. Each community is specifically designed to foster a strong sense of community so that students can be successful and productive during their college experience.
