ADVICE FOR CLASS OF 2020

On Friday, September 16, the Chicago Sky WNBA team honored Chicago Scholars President and CEO Dominique Jordan Turner with the #RedefinePossible Women’s Leadership Award before a sold-out audience at their game at the Allstate Arena.

The #RedefinePossible Award recognizes women who “serve as an inspiration to others by making a positive impact in the community and redefining possible for those around them.”  The Chicago Sky is honoring woman leaders throughout their 2016 season.

Dominique was selected for her work with Chicago Scholars, as well as her significant involvement in other organizations and leadership programs, including including Leadership Greater Chicago, IMPACT through Chicago Urban League and University of Chicago, the Trinity Fellows Program focusing on Urban Leadership, New York University’s Lead the Way Fellowship, the Broad Residency in Urban Education, Black Girls Lead, and the Chicago Public School Board of Education.

See her full profile on the Chicago Sky website.

“Chicago Scholars changed my life by introducing me to a very incredible network of people, including mentors and peers, and by allowing me to get involved in so many opportunities and conversations that I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience anywhere else.”  

– Allan Lake, Class of 2019, University of Chicago

Since kindergarten, Allan Lake has never missed a day of school.  For Allan, education has always been important and while growing up in the Beverly/ Morgan Park neighborhood, Allan dreamed of going to college.

When it came time to apply to college, however, he struggled with anxiety about finding the right college and the right major, as well as navigating the college application process. Becoming a Chicago Scholar gave him the resources he needed to confidently pursue his dream of higher education. He credits his mentors and counselor at Chicago Scholars for helping him apply to multiple schools and secure several scholarships. Allan enrolled at University of Chicago, majoring in Computer Science.

As he settled into college life, Allan discovered that despite his campus’ efforts toward diversity inclusion, there was still a lot of work to be done and minority students were faced with unique challenges.  He once again turned to his network at Chicago Scholars and was able to connect with other peers who were experiencing similar issues.  Together, they discussed solutions and advised younger students on how to overcome similar challenges.

Allan says:

“At Chicago Scholars, I not only found other students who witnessed the same issues at their universities, but we created groups to talk about the problems and solutions for handling that lack of diversity. I also get a chance to create dialogue so students who may follow in our footsteps to these universities can be more prepared.”

ALLAN’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE  

Following his graduation in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Allan plans to pursue a career in hardware engineering.  One day, he dreams of following up his successful career in hardware engineering with a return to the classroom as a Mechanics and Technology teacher.

Education is central to Allan’s long-term vision for Chicago:  He believes a thriving educational system is imperative for our city’s future, giving people options and opportunities they might not have had otherwise.  As an active Chicago Scholars Peer Mentor, Allan is already giving back by helping guide younger students.  He also recently completed an internship with Future Founders, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth to pursue their own opportunities and become entrepreneurs.

“Supporting younger peers and tutoring others can make a world of a difference, creating tighter relationships and overall making the public school system here better for future students.”

ABOUT ALLAN

Allan will graduate from University of Chicago in 2019 with a bachelors of science in Computer Science and minors in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies and American Sign Language.  Hailing from the Beverly / Morgan Park neighborhood of Chicago, Allan enjoys building and crafting and playing sports, including swimming, soccer, basketball.

“I’m so grateful for the space Chicago Scholars offers us to work at all times, and for the passionate counselors and mentors who have helped me present my best self to colleges. Chicago Scholars keeps me on track and has guided me so much through the college process.” 

– Patricia Calderon, Class of 2021
Whitney M Young Magnet High School

When Patricia Calderon heads to college next summer, she will be the first person in her family to attend college.  As a first generation American and soon-to-be first generation college student, Patricia knew she wanted to go to college but didn’t know where to begin in the confusing admissions process. Then she found out about Chicago Scholars.

“I decided to apply to Chicago Scholars because I knew they could give me the resources I needed to be successful in my college journey. As a first generation student, my parents can’t offer much guidance in the college process. Chicago Scholars really gave me the help I needed reach my full potential.”

Now, after a few months and many counseling sessions, workshops and meetings with her mentors, Patricia Calderon has completed applications to Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, Pitzer College, Amherst College, and Colby College.  She will be interviewing with all of these schools at the Onsite Admissions Forum on Tuesday.

She says:

“I’m so excited for Onsite! I really love all the schools on my Onsite list, which is why I’m so grateful for the chance to speak to the admissions officers so they can learn more about me and I can learn more about their school. An opportunity like this is so rare!”

Patricia’s Vision for the Future  

In college, Patricia plans to pursue environmental studies and environmental science. She believes that climate change is one of the most urgent issues facing the world today.  Her passion for sustainability led her to co-found the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Education, which she helps lead after school and hopes to develop further after graduating college.  She can’t wait to get to college to dive even deeper into environmental studies. She is also eager to just be on campus!

 “I’m most excited to begin a new adventure in a new place with new people, studying something I really love.”

About Patricia

Patricia is a senior at Whitney Young Magnet High School and will graduate this spring. She is actively involved in an organization she co-founded that is dedicated to environmental education and activism called the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Education.  She is also part of her school’s Student Council, National Honor Society, Latino Unidos, and Ecology Club.  She plays in her school’s wind ensemble band and even got a chance to perform at Carnegie Hall. She lives in the Midway / Clearing neighborhood of Chicago with her family.  

We are so proud to announce that Chicago Scholars President and CEO Dominique Jordan Turner was recently featured in USA Today’s Modern Woman Magazine!  Check out a photo of the page below and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine on the newsstands now.

Dominique’s influence as a community leader continues to elevate Chicago Scholars on both a regional and national level – we couldn’t be more excited or proud! This piece showcases her work in the mentorship space as well as demonstrates the value of what we do at Chicago Scholars.

We are excited to have this platform to continue spreading the important message of what Chicago Scholars does and how the organization transforms the lives of students from backgrounds similar to Dominique’s.

We are pleased to announce that Chicago Scholars Mentorship program has received the Gold Star Mentoring Program Award from the Illinois Mentoring Partnership.

The Gold Star Mentoring Program Award is awarded by Illinois Mentoring Partnership (IMP) to Illinois-based mentoring programs that meet or exceed “best practices across six program areas, as established by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, in cooperation with the nation’s foremost authorities on mentoring.”  Learn more about Illinois Mentoring Partnership here.

IMP recognizes programs that offer the best outcomes for mentors and mentees, and we are proud to be recognized for our committment to excellence in mentoring.

We are currently seeking new mentors to join our team!

If you want to support our talented and under-resourced Scholars in their college application and transition to campus life, learn more about becoming a Chicago Scholars College Access Mentor.  The next open house is January 11.

Dr. Toinette Gunn, Vice President of Programs at Chicago Scholars, discussed match and fit, obtaining resources and support outside school, the role of Chicago Scholars and other college access and success institutions, application advice and more on this episode of Taming the High Cost of College.

Click here to listen to the episode

We are so grateful for the ongoing support from Cubs Charities and are thrilled to be awarded a grant again this year.  Vice President of Development Milton Rodriguez, Vice President of Programs Dr. Toinette McClellan Gunn, and Director of College Access Jaime Garcia attended the annual Cubs Charities Grant Luncheon today.

The grant supports the Cubs Scholars program, through which five Chicago Scholars are awarded a four-year college scholarship as well as mentorship from the Cubs organization.

MEET ULYANA SMEREK (’19)

In honor of National Nurses Day, we caught up with one of our amazing Scholars, Ulyana Smerek (’19), who is currently studying Nursing at Loyola University Chicago.  She hails from the Jefferson Park neighborhood and graduated from Taft High School.  Check out the interview to see what her experience as a nursing major is like and how she chose to become a nurse.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO NURSING?

My mom is a home care nurse and I grew up watching her work and listen to her tell us about both the most rewarding and challenging days she’s had. I’ve always liked working with people so when it came down to applying to colleges senior year, I would envision my future 10 years from then and I could only see myself as a nurse.

WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT TERM PLANS ONCE YOU GRADUATE FROM YOUR UNDERGRAD?

As of right now, I am really interested in being a labor and delivery nurse, so I hope to get a job at one of the hospitals in Chicago. I would also work on getting my Masters degree!

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT BECOMING A NURSE? 

I look forward to becoming an advocate for every single person I care for and hope that I positively impact even a small portion of the patient’s life. I am also excited to see the vast majority of opportunities out there for nurses!

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A NURSING MAJOR SO FAR? 

Becoming friends with all of my classmates – we’ve gotten quite close after performing countless head to toe physical assessments on each other before competencies!

We’re so proud of Ulyana’s accomplishments so far and can’t wait to see her succeed as a nurse in Chicago! Ulyana’s determination to give back to her community as a nurse and make an impact in people’s lives is one of the qualities that makes her a true Chicago Scholar.  We’re rooting for you, Ulyana!

We are pleased to share that President and CEO Dominique Jordan Turner was featured today in GivingTuesday’s #WomenWhoGive series.  Dominique was selected for her leadership in the city of Chicago, through her work with Chicago Scholars and her leadership on the board of the Chicago Public Library and as a co-founder of Black Girls Lead.

When asked about what inspires her to give, Dominique says, “We can’t wait for superman, the President, corporations, or the 1%. Each one of us as an individual has the ability to change the world, but we have to be committed to doing our part.

The city of Chicago is in crisis mode. People are suffering, and we can’t wait for the next hero. We don’t have the luxury to wait for policy to change, legislation to pass, or jobs to come. We all have an obligation to give what we can for the greater good of our community.”

Dominique walks the walk.  She left her corporate job to serve in the Peace Corp several years ago and hasn’t looked back since.  Now, despite her busy schedule as our President and CEO, she carves out time on her schedule every month to take Chicago Scholars to lunch and to mentor young emerging leaders in the city.

She says, “It is one of my core beliefs that to whom much is given, much is required. It’s a belief that has always been instilled in me. The only reason why I am able to operate in this space and in this capacity is because people have poured into me and I feel that it is my duty to pay it forward.”

Read the full interview here.

MEET THE NEW CLASS OF 2022

We officially welcomed more than 620 new Scholars into the Class of 2022 at the New Scholar Orientation this weekend (June 3 – 4).  In addition to attending workshops at the all-day orientation, Scholars met their counselors, mentors and the students in their small group cohorts who they will be working with all year.

ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2022

The Class of 2022 is our largest class ever, and just as academically-driven, ambitious, and diverse as our other classes. The Class of 2022 represent 106 unique Chicago high schools and 72 community areas.  Their average unweighted GPA is 3.69 and their average weighted GPA is 4.31.

Chicago is brimming with talented young leaders. They are the city’s next generation of CEOs, political geniuses, innovators, and thought leaders. They are role models for our youth and community.

Chicago Scholars will be honoring 35 under 35 Young Leaders Making an Impact at our 4th  Annual UnTied Gala on April 27, 2018. If you know a young leader making a big difference in the Chicagoland area, please submit nominations here or email Liz O’Brien ateobrien@chicagoscholars.org before November 3.

Thank you for helping us recognize and build Chicago’s diverse talent pipeline.

For Onsite 2017, our scholars have been accepted into colleges across the country in record numbers. So far, there have been over 1,200 scholars admitted and over $46 million in merit scholarships granted, but the results are still coming in. It has been a truly transformational day.

To check out the live results as they come in, click here.

CS Modern Luxury magazine features Chicago Scholars President and CEO as one of Chicago’s prolific leaders working to improve the lives of others and our city!

Click here to check out the full story!

Chicago Scholars wishes you and your family the happiest of holidays and a wonderful start to the New Year. Your support of our work is invaluable – we could not make it happen without you!

This has been an amazing year for our program and our Scholars. We are excited that 2018 will bring our largest class of Scholars ever with 675 new students joining the program. This means that more first-generation college students will have access to our transformative college and career programming. Thank you for your continued dedication to investing in the diverse talent of students from every neighborhood in Chicago.

Sincerely,
The Chicago Scholars Dream Team

We are excited to announce that Chicago Scholars’ President and CEO Dominique Jordan Turner has been named to the inaugural Obama Foundation Fellows class! Dominique was selected from more than 20,000 applicants from 191 countries to be part of a program that brings together 20 leaders from around the world who are creating transformational change on many of the world’s most pressing problems.

We are thrilled by what this means for the work of Chicago Scholars and for the opportunities it will bring to take our mission to the next level and amplify our impact on the city of Chicago. We would like to congratulate Dominique on this well-deserved honor and hope you join us. This is an exciting next step in our journey to elevate and empower the next generation of Chicago leaders.

We are honored to be named the 2018 recipient of the  NPEA — National Partnership for Educational Access Award for Excellence!

The Award recognizes an NPEA member who has demonstrated excellence in supporting underserved students on the path to and through college through effective practices, a commitment to data for program improvement, support for students’ personal growth and success, strong program sustainability, leadership in the community, and creative problem-solving and innovation.

“Through our work at Chicago Scholars, we strive to change the narrative of what is possible for students from underserved communities by providing them with the resources and mentorship they need to succeed. We believe that all students should have equitable access to education no matter what zip code they were born in or neighborhood they call home,” said Chicago Scholars’ President and CEO Dominique Jordan Turner. “Receiving this award energizes us to continue to provide transformational programming for our Scholars as they progress on their journey to become the next generation of Chicago leaders.”

Thank you to NPEA and  The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation!

The Greenhouse is the College Success Team’s video interview series highlighting the inspiring experiences our Educational and Leadership Development (ELD) Grant recipients have completed. Season one highlights twelve Scholars who completed opportunities studying abroad, attending national conferences, and participating in local internships.

Click Here to watched the Greenhouse video series.

Chicago Scholars 5th annual 35 under 35 Awards recognizes a group of diverse, talented young professionals making an impact in Chicago. Chicago Scholars is a mentoring and leadership development organization that helps first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities navigate the complex transitions into college, through college, and beyond to a career.

“We are so impressed by the immense talent of this hard-working, forward-thinking, diverse group of honorees,” says Dominique Jordan Turner, CEO of Chicago Scholars. “Keep an eye on these 35 individuals who are making an impact on the community. We believe they will be the future leaders of our city, our state, and our nation.”

The 2019 class of 35 under 35 recipients was selected from a highly competitive group of 140 nominees who all possess outstanding professional accomplishments as well as a commitment and dedication to making an impact on their community. The selection committee is made up of Chicago Scholars staff and members of the Chicago Scholars’ associate board. The Awards will take place at Chicago Scholars’ UnTied Gala on April 26. The 35 Under 35, Class of 2019 List:

• Abel Ochoa – Executive Director of College Readiness + Access, Office of Civic Engagement, University of Chicago
• Ariel DeNey Rainey – Founder and CEO, Hustle Mommies
• Ben Head – Political Director, Schakowsky for Congress
• Brittney Cleveland – Senior Manager of Partner Engagement, College Greenlight
• Caroline Robinson – Dermatologist, Northwestern Medicine
• Chanelle Bell – Senior Community Organizer, Noble Network of Charter Schools
• Channing Lenert – Program Officer, Polk Bros. Foundation
• Charlie Hoover – Founder, Chicago Reach
• Christopher MacDonald – Assistant Public Defender II, Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
• Ciere Boatright – Vice President, Real Estate & Inclusion, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives
• Cory Croft – City Manager, Rinse
• Courtney Quigley McGovern – Executive Director, Hope’s In
• Daniel Epstein – Associate Attorney, Jenner & Block LLP
• Darren Goodson – Senior Claims Counsel, Commercial Litigation, ALAS, Ltd.
• David Rojas – Co-Founder, The Alliance 98
• Dawn Reese – Director of Strategic Development, The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education
• Elle Ramel – Director of Development, Farpoint Development
• Frank Brown II – Economist , U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Jasmine Gurneau – Manager, Native American & Indigenous Initiatives , Northwestern University, Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion
• Jen Kamins – Co-Founder, Executive Director, Brave Initiatives
• Jeremy Wilson – Director, Legal Counsel, JLL
• Katrina Jackson – Global Manager Talent Management, Underwriters Laboratory
• Kelly Grimes – Call Center Supervisor- Homelessness Prevention Call Center, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
• Keven Stonewall – Cancer Researcher, Motivational Speaker, and Health Advocate
• Nahiris Bahamón – Pediatrician, Esperanza Health Center
• Nicholas Martin – Community Impact Director, American Heart Association
• Nicole Granacki – Customized Program Manager, IES Abroad
• Paige LaCour – Community Engagement Associate, William Blair
• Precious Jacobs – Partner, Jenner & Block, LLP
• Rashanah Baldwin – Journalist, Baldwin Media Group
• Samantha Loo – Senior Associate Director, Center for the Health and Social Sciences, University of Chicago
• Shaun Zhang – Associate, Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP
• Sierra Wallace – Assistant State’s Attorney, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
• Stephen McClain – Co-CEO, Empowered Community Schools
• Watchen Nyanue – Vice President of Marketing Partnerships, Chicago Sky

On Friday, April 26 the 35 under 35 will be honored at a VIP Awards Ceremony & Reception at 6:00 p.m., which will be followed by the UnTied Gala celebration at 7:30 p.m. at Moonlight Studios (1446 W. Kinzie St.). Tickets to the 35 under 35 VIP Awards Ceremony & Gala are $250, while tickets to attend only the Gala are $150. Sponsorships are available at the $3,000, $6,000, and $12,500 levels. If you are interested in attending, sponsoring, or learning more about the event, please visit https://chicagoscholars.org/untied2019.