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Chicago Scholar Olivia Villarreal featured in Lawndale News

Olivia (Class of 2011) describes what it was like to become a Chicago Scholar and how she remains involved with our organization as a mentor.  For Olivia, being part of the Chicago Scholars community became part of her identity.

Olivia says:

“When I first got the news that I was accepted into the program, it felt as though I was being accepted into a higher world of successful people and exclusivity based on all of my hard work in school. It was an incredible feeling; even being accepted to college didn’t compare. It was a feeling of belonging to a community where hopes and dreams come true through education, resources, and encouragement. Chicago Scholars taught me that it was not a matter of “if” I would get into college, it was a matter of “which” school would I choose. I was not chosen by a college first, I was chosen by Chicago Scholars first, and this organization helped form an important part of my identity: Latina, Chicago, and Scholar.”

Click here to read the full article on the Lawndale News website.