It is because of community members like you that we are able to help hundreds of Chicago Public School students reach their college and career goals. As we approach the second quarter, we are excited to share with you all of the success Chicago Scholars has had during the first quarter of this year. Please take a moment to read our 1st quarter newsletter and witness the impact you are helping us to make in our city.

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IMPORTANT INFO FOR SCHOLARS: If you are a Chicago Scholar in need of emergency funds due to issues stemming from COVID-19, please reach out to your Chicago Scholars contact. Scholars in college can also email us at teamlift@chicagoscholars.org and high school Scholars can email us at teamlaunch@chicagoscholars.org.

Following Chicago Scholars’ response plan for COVID-19 and recommendations from Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker, Chicago Scholars has made the decision to close our physical office space on March 16, and we will keep our office closed through December 2020. In line with our values, we’re putting people first.

• WE CARE FOR EACH OTHER: The safety of our Scholars, staff, and stakeholders is our absolute top priority.

• WE SHOW UP: Even though our physical office is closed, our team remains fiercely dedicated to our Scholars and ensuring they have best resources, information, services, and support. See the bottom of this email for the full list of steps taken by Chicago Scholars to date.

• WE MODEL THE WAY: During this time, all of our programming and events will be held virtually. We have asked all Chicago Scholars staff to work from home. How long we extend office closure will depend on our response plan and recommendations from local officials. We will keep you updated.

• WE KEEP OUR WORD: In light of these developments and the importance of everyone’s health and safety, we are reaching out to all of our stakeholders impacted by programming and events changes. See a full list of event changes below.

• WE DREAM BIG: We’ve provided emergency supports to our Scholars, especially to support those who did not have internet access, those who needed assistance relocating due to college closures, or those who had other urgent needs. We will continue to be there for our Scholars.

• WE EMBRACE OUR DIFFERENCES: It is important to remember that COVID-19 does not distinguish between race, nationality, or geographic borders. Although the news about the coronavirus can be confusing and frightening, it is so important that we care for each other during this time. We can all fight stigma and discrimination together by treating each other with compassion, love, and support.

As we continue to closely monitor the situation, we will update this webpage with the latest information, as well as communicate updates to any and all relevant Chicago Scholars’ stakeholders.

EVENT UPDATES

All of Chicago Scholars large-scale events will be held virtually for the foreseeable future. This includes the following events:

• Swing for Scholars has been moved to September 28, 2020.

• Onsite College and Leadership Forum will be entirely virtual this year, including the luncheon. We are committed to ensuring Onsite is as impactful as it is on any other year. Our Scholars will still be interviewing with hundred of college admission representatives from across the country, receiving same-day offers of acceptance, and merit Scholarships.

MORE INFORMATION ON CHICAGO SCHOLARS’ RESPONSE

You can find a letter from Chicago Scholars CEO Dominique Jordan Turner on our organization’s response to the COVID-19 crisis here. Additionally, Chicago Scholars has taken the following steps to date:

• In line with CDC recommendations, we have developed a prevention and response plan, including immediate prevention steps and criteria for staff working from home or canceling events.

• Developed or are developing detailed contingency plans for our programming and events over the next several months in case we need to cancel, reschedule, or go virtual based on the criteria laid out in the plan mentioned above.

• Developed a response for college Scholars whose campuses may be closing or asking them to leave.

• Purchased or ordered prevention supplies including hand sanitizer, wipes, etc. per CDC guidance.

• Held a webinar for nonprofit leaders across Chicago on Crisis Management & Maintaining Nonprofit Services during COVID-19 shutdowns.

• Coordinated a C4 Town Hall focused on elevating student voice and hearing directly from high school and college students in Chicago. Chicago Scholars CEO Dominique Jordan Turner was joined by Chicago Public Schools CEO Dr. Janice Jackson for a conversation around how we can all work together to support Chicago’s students.

• Created the Chicago Scholars Response Fund to support our Scholars, their families, and our organization as we deal with emergency needs and the uncertain impact of COVID-19.

• Hosted a virtual #StayHome dance party for this year’s UnTied Gala on Friday, April 24. Thank you to our Associate Board, our sponsors, and DJ OneChance for making this event so memorable.

• New Scholar Orientation was held virtually on Saturday, June 20, for more than 500 new Scholars!

• ScholarCon was held virtually on Friday, July 17, for more than 200 of our Scholars. Our young leaders spent the day learning together and attending sessions on professional development, networking, and entrepreneurship, among other topics.

COVID-19 INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

For more information on COVID-19, pleases visit:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Chicago Department of Public Health

Dear Scholars and Alumni,

As many of you already know, I made the decision to leave Chicago Scholars at the end of this year. It has been a great honor to serve as CEO of this organization for the last seven years. Each and every one of you are incredible leaders who will go on to do amazing things in your futures. I’m excited to continue to watch you reach your goals and be the leadership that our city so desperately needs.

As we have been living through COVID-19 and a Social Justice crisis over the past nine months, I have gotten even more clear and passionate about elevating the talent and genius of first generation professionals. I call them Firsties™. There is a need beyond just Chicago and I want to be on the front lines supporting them to live up to their greatest potential and helping companies to achieve their goals by connecting to them.

In this next chapter, I will focus on connecting high performance diverse talent with opportunities for them to create change and impact in the spaces where they lead. One of the services that I’m most excited about is a 6-week masterclass that I recently launched. It’s called Firstie™ University. This course is meant for first gen grads to major in THEMSELVES. For them to get clarity on their purpose, identity, personal brand and goals. I believe the clarity that they get from the course will help them become better leaders. The curriculum truly includes everything that I wish I would have been taught in college!

I will also be doing more speaking, writing and coaching. Feel free to follow me on IG and LinkedIn if you haven’t already or check out DominiqueJordanTurner.com if you’re interested in learning more.

While a search for the next CEO is underway, the Chicago Scholars Board of Directors has appointed Jeffery Beckham Jr., current Chicago Scholars Vice President of Partnerships, to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer. The Chicago Scholars staff will keep you updated over the next several months as to the progress of the search.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a small part in your leadership journeys. I look forward to crossing paths again soon.

-DJT

From the moment a Scholar, family member, board members, or staff enters the Chicago Scholars office, our purpose, goals, and outcomes are clear. The purpose of Chicago Scholars is to  ensure that Chicago’s best students receive the college counseling, mentoring, and supportive community they need to move from high school to college and career. Our goals are to help Scholars navigate the college application process so they can enroll in the college that best matches their needs and begin building leadership skills. The immediate outcome is that our Scholars feel supported throughout these challenging years of their lives; the long-term outcome is a city where ambitious, motivated students meet their full potential regardless of their Zip code, family resources or financial situation. This is the assignment we have given ourselves – the assignment that we made our mission.

As our website proudly displays, our mission is “to uniquely select, train, and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders who will transform their neighborhoods and our city.” In our day to day work, we   carry out our mission through what we call the CS Way: We Dream Big, We Show Up, We Embrace Our Difference, We Model the Way, We Care For Each Other, and We Keep Our Word. These are values that many organizations claim, but at Chicago Scholars, we put them into practice in everything we do.

Our Scholars have an assignment too —  Enroll, Engage, and Enrich! Our application process is rigorous and competitive. Our team expects a high level of engagement in our 1:1 College Counseling and participation in our Onsite Career and Leadership Forum. These are all tools our Scholars are expected to use to build a career that opens the door to economic mobility.

Our high school partners – teachers, counselors, principals – have an assignment too: encourage your students to apply. You know your students best! We heavily rely on high school visits, nominations, and attendance at our Open House events during recruitment season. The reason we have an opportunity to share our story with prospective Scholars is due to our school partnerships. We are grateful that high school across Chicago welcome us into their space.

The assignment for our community partners (Board members, community-based organizations, volunteers) is to share your time, talent, and resources with our Dream Team members. This allows the CS staff to carry out the day-to-day work required to ensure each Scholar has the support needed for success.

This is what you will receive when you come to my weekly blog: a real-time look at the strategies, challenges, and triumphs of our CS Ways, insights into recruiting participants and inspiring disengaged students, and the resources we use in our work. These resources are critical to setting us up for success and I want to share our knowledge with you!

Nameka R. Bates, Ph.D.

Managing Director of College Access

Are you in your final semester of your undergraduate degree and unsure about the future? Are you having a hard time finding that “perfect” career to start upon graduation? Are you trying to decide whether you want to go back to school before starting a career? Use these tips to clarify your goals as you wrap up your final semester of college.

Tip #1: Sit down and write / document one goal you’d like to accomplish by the end of the semester. It can be easy to get lost and forget that college is a vehicle for your future while you’re still a student. Setting a goal and working at it will allow you to focus on the most important thing – that is, school — and set boundaries for what you can and cannot do.

Tip #2: If you’re looking for a job in corporate America, leverage the resources around you. Most schools have a career center that helps students get a post-graduation job. If you’ve never set foot in their office, now is the best time to do it. Set an appointment, write down your goal from Tip #1, and print a copy of your resume so they can help you identify career paths and areas for improvement that match your interests. In addition, Chicago Scholars is a great resource  — we have people at every level of the organization who are ready to help you. Contact us any time to see how we can help!

Tip #3: If you’re looking for a role in research, talk to someone who is already in the field. Depending on your major and the kind of research you want to do, you may want to search for opportunities around some target fields of interest. In addition, you will also want to identify people within your immediate network (alumni of your university, peers in your class, or members of a similar organization) that are doing what you want and ask them how they did it. The answer could be as simple as a pipeline program or a mutual connection that you regularly engage with.

Tip #4: Thinking about graduate school? Map out a plan of attack. Graduate school can be a daunting idea if you’re the first in your family to pursue it. Nevertheless, it is important when going after a higher degree to have a plan. Start by writing down your top five to ten schools you would go to if money wasn’t an issue. Then, research and list the program you would enroll in at each of those schools. Next, you’ll want to look on the school websites to see if they have university or program specific events coming up that you can attend. Make time to learn about the school and whether it is a good fit for you. Make sure you keep a calendar of application deadlines and begin to gather the materials you’ll need to submit.

Tip #5: Your path is yours! Do not compare it to someone else’s. Everyone that exists can achieve their purpose and make an impact on the lives of others. If things do not work out exactly as you planned them, do not worry. Take one step at a time, one day at a time, and you’ll find a path that makes sense for you.

Kevin Banks, Jr.

Manager of Corporate Partnerships

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Chicago Scholars, we want to share the bittersweet news that Dominique Jordan Turner has announced that she will be leaving her role as the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Scholars on January 1, 2021 to pursue other opportunities. Dominique has been an outstanding Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors is grateful for her innovative leadership in furthering Chicago Scholars’ mission and values.

Leading the organization through significant growth since 2013 as well as through the recent unprecedented challenges, Dominique’s commitment to elevating academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities have resulted in many notable accomplishments, including:

• A 200% increase in the number of students Chicago Scholars serves each year

• The establishment of the Alumni Leadership Association

• Team LeBron James naming Chicago Scholars as its charity of choice for the 2020 NBA All Star Game

• The selection of Chicago Scholars as a 2020 Best Place to Work by Crain’s Chicago Business

A 2018 inaugural Obama Foundation Fellow, Dominique has worked passionately as a leader, role model, and mentor to help our Scholars become the next generation of leaders in Chicago.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last seven years on behalf of talented young leaders in our city,” said Dominique Jordan Turner. “When I joined the team, I was asked to grow the organization, professionalize it and elevate the brand so that it would become a household name. I feel like I’ve done just that and as I depart, I am confident in the team, structure and systems that have been put in place to take Chicago Scholars to the next level. I will forever be a champion of this work even as I begin the next chapter of my leadership journey.”

While a search is underway, the Board of Directors is delighted to announce that Jeff Beckham, current Chicago Scholars Vice President of Partnerships, will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer beginning December 1, 2020. The Board is looking forward to working with Jeff in this new capacity and he will be well supported by Chicago Scholars’ dynamic executive team.

“Dominique has impacted the lives of so many young people and I know she will continue to do so with great passion in her future endeavors. We are excited and confident that Jeff will successfully lead the organization through this transition as Chicago Scholar’s interim CEO. He is a trusted leader both within the organization and in the Chicago community,” said Kourtney Gibson, President of Loop Capital Markets and Chair of the Chicago Scholars Board.

“It has been such a pleasure to watch Dominique and Chicago Scholars grow together so dramatically. We are excited for her next phase as well as the next chapter of Chicago Scholars. As always, we’re excited, too, for all of the talent riding throughout our city,” shared Tim Schwertfeger, former Chairman and CEO of Nuveen Investments and Chicago Scholars founder.

Kathryn Thomas, Partner at Chilton Yambert Porter LLP, immediate past chair of the Chicago Scholars Board of Directors and head of the search committee that found Dominique seven years ago, will again lead the board’s executive search committee for the next CEO of Chicago Scholars. For inquiries about the search, please contact kthomas@cyp-law.com.

Please join us in thanking Dominique for her enormous dedication to Chicago Scholars and in wishing her continued success in the next phase of her career.

-The Chicago Scholars Board of Directors