2016 | Second Quarter
CEO NEWSLETTER
Scholar Spotlight Schafaris Turner is one of our vibrant Scholars from the college class of 2016. Schafaris grew up in Chicago’s Englewood/Back of the Yards neighborhood and graduated from what she describes as the “best high school in the state of Illinois,” Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. Schafaris is currently celebrating being the first in her family to graduate from college. She recently walked the commencement stage at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign with a Bachelor’s of Science in Recreation, Sports, and Tourism with a concentration in Sports Management. She is now preparing to continue her education at UIUC to earn her Masters in Sports Management. Schafaris also accepted an Event Management Graduate Assistant position and will attend graduate school tuition free. Her advice to future Scholars is: “Don’t give up no matter the circumstances...making it through your struggles will make you stronger.”
20 Years of Impact Being a Chicago Scholar is a lifestyle. It is the innate passion to seek and lead change that makes life better for yourself and for others. Our success as an organization not only comes from selecting students who exemplify this unique characteristic, but also from building a team and community of supporters who are committed to this lifestyle as well. Together, we have taken tremendous strides to turn our passion into activism. By helping first generation and under-resourced students to succeed beyond high school, we are strengthening our communities and workforce with leaders who reflect ever corner of our city. Over the past 20 years, we have witnessed students from the most povertystricken neighborhoods graduate from the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation. Many of these students return to Chicago as lawyers, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, and determined to lift up the generation to follow. Each year, we are elevating more leaders and increasing momentum in the cycle of excellence. On the heels of selecting 525 high school juniors to join the college class of 2021, we victoriously commemorated the class of 2020 as they announced their college admissions decisions at our annual College Choice Celebration. This fall, those 425 Scholars are slated to attend colleges and universities across the country, while our newest college class, 2021, will be participating in 1:1 college counseling sessions, connecting with mentors, and gearing up for the 10th Annual Onsite Admission Forum. At this year’s Onsite, we are partnering with over 175 selective to highly selective colleges and universities throughout the nation to interview 1:1 with our talented Scholars. We are excited to honor Sandra Guthman, Board Chair of Polk Bros. Foundation, with our Crystal Award for her tireless work and support in the college success space. We look forward to celebrating our 20 years of impact and thank you for supporting us for 20 more.
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