We’re In Chicago: Au Shawna Jelks
Our Scholar Alumni really are everywhere, including right here on the CS Dream team! With this new phase of We’re Everywhere, we’re introducing you to some of our incredible CS Staff and Mentors who are Alumni of our program!
Au Shawna Jelks, one of our full-time College Counselors at Chicago Scholars and a graduate of Lawrence University, brings her own experience as a Scholar Alum to every interaction guiding younger Scholars in their college application process, and as they grow into the leaders of tomorrow. We spoke to her about what it means to be working with Scholars as an Alum, what her experience was like as a Scholar, and what she wishes people knew about Chicago Scholars and the City of Chicago. Read on for her responses:
What is your current role at Chicago Scholars?
“My role as a College Counselor is to provide support and guidance to some of the brightest leaders of Chicago through tailored curriculum centered around the college application and navigation process, and being part of a team that prepares scholars to interview with their top college and university choices at our Onsite College and Leadership Forum held in October.”
What brought you back to Chicago Scholars to serve on the staff?
“Divine timing and opportunity allowed me to now be able to give back to Scholars whose shoes I was once in, but now as a College Counselor.”
As a CS team member, what does it mean to you to be shaping the future of the organization?
“Being a CS team member means that I can continue to contribute to serving high achieving and performing first generation, minoritized, under resourced, and underrepresented students all across the city of Chicago who are more than capable and deserving of the tools and resources to excel and thrive in higher education to allow them the best of opportunities to be themselves and showcase why they are truly are Chicago brightest, just as what has been provided to me—once a scholar always a scholar.”
What is it like interacting with current Scholars as an Alumni and current staff member?
“I constantly find myself in an empowering oscillating position in being a lifetime scholar and now staff member being able to be in a position to provide current scholars knowledge and confidence in who they are as the next generation of the brightest leaders of Chicago. From the lenses that I have from my own scholar experience, staff member, and previous admissions work which is a multifaceted encouraging space that I am glad to be able to share with my scholars, especially on the days circumstances may not be as bright, but showing scholars in our day to day interactions they have support and compassion within me from first handedly being a part of the Class of 2017. It is truly an amazing seat to be in, to be able to speak and lead my scholars through the impact Chicago Scholars has had on me, and hopefully, give my scholars an experience similar to my own, where they are inclined to stay connected and involved in Chicago Scholars beyond year one.”
How has your view of Chicago Scholars changed in your current role with the organization?
“I am still a newer team member in my role, so I am getting to see some aspects of the business side of the organization that I would not be a witness to otherwise. What I can say from the continued effort of our entire Dream Team to lead and model our mission and vision to our most deserving scholars, which deepens my own gratitude toward the organization for the work we collectively put in together so that our scholars have access to just as great opportunities as their counterparts.”
What was your experience like as a Scholar?
“From my class and the all-scholar events held throughout the entire year to allow us scholars to constantly reconnect, to the essay and application workshops, on back to my Onsite experience all things have been valuable and vividly remembered. Because of Chicago Scholar’s I even met one of my best friends, so I am forever grateful for the year-round events, workshops, student panels, and my mentors Martrice and Nicole who I am still in touch with to this very day.”
What advice do you have for current Scholars?
“We cannot help what we do not know, but that is why it is important to equally show up in spaces that are unfamiliar to take the initiative to possibly expose ourselves to knowledge, opportunities, and experiences, even if the face of global adversity and personal trying times. It is important for us as scholars, for you, to show up and show out in familiar and unfamiliar spaces to be able to become better self-advocates because if we do not advocate for ourselves, who will?!”
What do you wish people knew about Chicago Scholars and the city of Chicago?
“Chicago Scholars is an organization that is one of a kind. We truly do impactful work from continuing to develop fruitful partnerships, recruit talented professionals to come aboard as mentors and volunteers, and constantly re-evaluate and rework our plan as an organization and counseling curriculum to be mindful of what our scholars currently need in our counseling sessions and expand to help more students across the city of Chicago in the years to come.”
Is there a piece of professional advice you would like to give your fellow Alumni?
“Advice that I find vital to give fellow alumni, especially the classes of 2021 and beyond is chase your dreams do not run from them because you cannot outrun your destiny. The road will to success will not be easy, but taking on each part of your journey as a steppingstone to build toward what you ultimately desire will be so worth it and will save you a lot of time from having to work backwards, in the long run.”