University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Class of 2015
In high school, Michera says she was shy, which made it difficult for her to reach out for the support she needed to navigate the college application process.
As a high school junior, she was accepted into the Chicago Scholars program. Through Chicago Scholars, she applied to and was accepted to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a concentration in Pre-Veterinary Medicine.
After graduation, she returned to Chicago and she currently works as the PAWS for Life Coordinator at PAWS Chicago while she researches graduate school options.
Michera says:
“Chicago Scholars has been there for me throughout my entire collegiate journey. From the early stages assisting with the college application process, to providing career mentors who helped navigate me through choosing a career and schools that had good programs for what I wanted to do. This mentorship continued on, allowing me to connect with other scholars that were on my campus and eventually becoming a mentor myself.
Chicago Scholars laid the foundation for me to network with my peers and with professionals, through my Chicago Scholars cohort in the beginning of my college journey and now my current role on the Alumni Leadership Council. These roles allowed me to not only be a leader but to step outside my comfort zone and network with others.”
Michera’s Vision for the Future
While Michera pursues her passion of helping animals and pet-owners, she remains deeply involved with Chicago Scholars. As a former peer mentor and now as a member of the Alumni Leadership Council, Michera is committed to helping students like herself succeed through Chicago Scholars. She says:
“My long-term vision for the City of Chicago is improving quality of education and access to opportunity for our youth. I will advance this vision by serving as a role model and mentor for our youth as well as continuing to be involved with programs such as Chicago Scholars that play an important role in advancing students.”
