Taking Entrepreneurial Youth Experience to the Next Level
Luke Petro joined the Hope staff last fall after teaching at a public charter school in Chicago for almost a decade. While he’s taught a variety of subjects within the Humanities, his passion for Entrepreneurship is inspiring.
“Once I started teaching it, I saw the importance of it There’s something really empowering about teaching people that they can see opportunity in problems, ” Luke said.
Kevin Walters has spent 23 years as a union trade electrician, including instructing at a trades school for 6 years. Now, he’s spearheading Hope’s trades classes. All 81 freshmen completed a trades course this year.
Next to the basketball gym on Hope’s ground floor, the trades workshop buzzes with activity. There, Jacob Thomas (right) went from being wary of the class to thankful for the experience.
“I wasn’t very open to the class in the beginning. But as the year kept going, and there were more hands-on projects, I found myself enjoying it and retaining a lot of knowledge,” Jacob said. While he doesn’t plan to work in the trades, he describes his dad as a “handyman,” and is excited to be able to help him out more around the house.
“My freshman year went way better than I expected In eighth grade I was really worried that high school would not be the best experience for me academically and socially. I was proven wrong on all accounts. Getting all of these opportunities Hope has to offer, and getting to be part of the spirit of the school – my year couldn’t have been better ”
This semester, Hope offered three new Arts courses. Students were excited to try out Music Performance, Visual Arts, and Intro to Theater.
The Hope community also had a chance to watch our creative students shine in the musical Fiddler on the Roof, put on in partnership with Moody Bible Institute. Eighteen Hope students, many with no musical experience, participated as performers and in the tech crew
“My experience was very much an answer to prayer,” Junior Keziah Rivera (right) said, who played the fourth daughter. “I love acting and performing but I transferred in this year knowing Hope didn’t have a theater program. When I found out there would be a musical, I was so excited! One thing I learned is how important every part of the cast and crew is – we truly couldn’t have put on the play without any of them.”
One of the final requirements for the Senior Class is a capstone project. Students choose a topic to defend from a Christian worldview. The three finalists present their projects to the rest of the school and a group of teachers acting as judges.
Valerie Saldana (middle) won the capstone contest for her presentation on capital punishment. In her paper, Valerie argued that “Christians should work to abolish the death penalty to prevent the death of the innocent by becoming involved in politics, introducing alternative sentencing, and ensuring that the accused have proper representation.”
In the fall, Valerie will study at Vanderbilt University on a full ride Questbridge scholarship She plans to become an attorney to make a difference in the justice system.
Thank you for supporting the important mission of Chicago Hope Academy! Your prayers and contributions allow us to give the students profiled in this newsletter (and 285 others) a high-quality, affordable Christian education. If you’d like to donate, please scan the QR code. To tour the school or connect your company with us, please email Staunton Peck (speck@chicagohopeacademy.org).
Junior Jha’Mea Sanders sets a personal record with a high jump of 1.50m while competing in the State Finals.
Boys Basketball celebrates going down state and winning 3rd place in 1A basketball.
Junior Pablo Zamora and Alum Kassandra Chavez compete at the Createur Conference, a pitch competition for aspiring young entrepreneurs, at Olivet Nazarene University.
The Senior Class extends their hands in a blessing for the underclassmen at Hope's final chapel of the year.
The baseball team wins Hope’s first ever 2A sectional championship after being promoted from 1A last year!
Jayla Watkins and Aniya Love pack meals during Senior Service Day. Jayla will attend Illinois State University and Aniya will go to Northern Illinois University in the fall.
