Our History
Our program has changed a lot since 1996! At Chicago Scholars, we’re always working to build upon our successes, help our Scholars achieve their dreams, and respond to our community’s needs. Click below to see how we’ve evolved throughout our history.
Our History
Our program has changed a lot since 1996! At Chicago Scholars, we’re always working to build upon our successes, help our Scholars achieve their dreams, and respond to our community’s needs. Click below to see how we’ve evolved throughout our history.
2002
The two scholarship organizations merged to become Scholarship Chicago.
2005
As Scholarship Chicago grew, College Bound, an innovative program on Chicago’s North Shore founded by Gary Caplan and Lee Gordon, was working in a parallel direction. College Bound focused on workshops, personal mentoring, and paid internship opportunities. By the mid-2000s, College Bound had merged with Sam Mendenhall’s Give Back Foundation, which chiefly served African-American youth. These leaders were now seeking to expand their organization to increase their impact and efficiency. With an eye toward bringing as many resources to as many Chicago students as possible, Scholarship Chicago merged with College Bound in 2005 to become the Chicago Scholars Foundation.
2013
Chicago Scholars welcomed its first Black female CEO, Dominique Jordan Turner. She oversaw a 200% increase in Scholar enrollment, the establishment of the Alumni Leadership Association, and Chicago Scholars’ 2020 selection as a Crain’s Chicago Business Best Place to Work.
2016
Tim Schwertfeger, former Chairman of Nuveen Investments, and his wife Gail Waller founded an organization to provide a one-time award of $1,000 to a graduating senior from every public, private and parochial high school in Chicago with the goal of highlighting talent from every neighborhood. Before long, this work caught the attention of Manny Sanchez and Gery Chico, whose Chicagoland Scholarship Fund helped young Hispanic students realize their dreams of college education.
2020
Chicago Scholars was selected by NBA superstar LeBron James to represent his team in the 2020 NBA Allstar Game hosted in Chicago.
2021
Jeffery Beckham, Jr. became Chicago Scholars’ third CEO in 2021. Within his first year as CEO, Beckham’s bold vision for the future of Chicago Scholars has led to the creation of a new mobile app, welcomed the establishment of the Young Men of Color Initiatives, and deepened relationships with partners across the city and country.
2021
Chicago Scholars launched its 10-year vision for the future of Chicago’s talented young leaders and created a new endeavor, REACH Pathways, to explore growth expansion opportunities.