Association of Progressive Rental Organizations | America’s Champion for Rent-to-Own
For more than 15 years, the APRO Charitable Foundation has annually provided scholarships to rent-to-own professionals and their families. APRO members have contributed generously to the APRO Scholarship Fund – awarding 522 scholarships totaling $1,180,250 to date – empowering students connected with RTO to pursue college degrees and successful futures.
Virginia native Semaj Lovelace is an exceptionally well-qualified scholarship recipient. Semaj took all honors courses from fifth grade forward, was on the principal’s and superintendent’s honor rolls every semester, and was an inductee into four different national honor organizations. He was an Air Force ROTC Cadet for three years of high school, volunteered for the City of Chesapeake public libraries and recreation centers, and was a Mayor Ambassador, helping with city fundraisers and parades. He’s also active in his church, serving as a Junior Deacon, usher, and clergy assistant as needed.
Today, Semaj is a computer science student at Norfolk University while working part-time as a grocery-store cashier. Semaj says he was attracted to computer science because he believes computers are much more than simply the smartphones we tote around, the search engines we depend upon, or the video games we play.
“Computer technology is the universal digital language and the fiber of this generation,” says Semaj. “It’s the new way of the world, and will bridge the gap of knowledge between generations. My goal is to help people become proficient in the use of computer technology, so they can benefit from how essential it is and how much easier and more efficient it can make our daily lives.”
Semaj is poised, focused, and determined to become a software engineer – a job he thinks he can be happy doing for the rest of his life.
“I want a career doing something I love, something I can do with genuine passion,” he says.
Semaj has an excellent role model for working with passion – his dad, James Lovelace, has worked in rent-to-own for more than two decades, the past dozen years with RNR Tire Express, where he’s currently the Sales Manager at the Norfolk, Virginia, store. Semaj holds one very personal memory about the importance of his father’s work.
“I clearly remember my cousin’s excitement when she was approved for her apartment in Virginia after relocating from Michigan with her three children,” says Semaj. “With a smile on her face, she turned the key and opened her new front door to an empty dwelling. But I began to wonder, Where will they lay their heads? What will they do for entertainment?”
James immediately referred his family member to Rent-A-Center, where he was working at the time.
“My cousin was a single mother of three, with less-than-perfect credit and no savings, but she was a hard worker and did her best to take care of her family,” Semaj says. “Through rent-to-own, she was able to get bunkbeds for her kids, TVs, and a dining-room set where they could share meals together. With just the touch of the fingertips and the stroke of a pen, she and her family were able to turn the page to a new chapter of their lives.”
Semaj says he admires the work his father does to help customers feel worthy, valued, and equal.
“We all hit rough patches in life, and we’re all deserving of opportunities for improvement,” he says. “With RTO, folks don’t experience the embarrassment of being denied like at other furniture and electronics stores – and RTO makes their houses feel like homes.”
Semaj’s is one of the dozens of positive stories that generous donations from the RTO community make happen each year. Click here to learn more and contribute to this invaluable industry effort.

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