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Joi was almost finished with her studies at Thornwood High School in south suburban South Holland when her health became an issue. It soon became apparent she was suffering from renal failure and regular dialysis treatments were required. Joi decided to forgo completing high school to focus on her health.

Timing, as they say, is everything, and it seemed timing was going to work against Joi again when she decided to begin studying for a GED through Truman College. Just weeks into the program, she learned that a kidney match had been found for her long-awaited transplant, but the operation would need to be during her GED studies. Joi credits her success in the program to, not only her own determination, but the persistence of Joy Marks, a Truman College adult educator leading her GED course, who visited Joi regularly during her recovery and kept her current with her studies. 

Her hard work has paid off and she not only was among the graduates crossing the stage at Truman on Thursday, June 29 to receive her diploma, she was also one of the featured speakers. She reminded all in attendance that “obstacles do present themselves, but you have to work at them, overcome them to live out your dreams.”

Joi’s dream, now that she is enrolled at Truman College and pursuing her associate degree through the Adult Education Gateway Program, is to transfer to Columbia College Chicago to study television and radio production for a career in that field.  

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On the advice of a friend, Frederick Baker enrolled at Kennedy-King College in August of 2016 while he was homeless. His test scores were a little below 6th grade equivalency, but he was accepted into Kennedy-King College’s Culinary Bridge program due in large part to his persistence. KKC’s Transition Specialist worked diligently with Frederick and his instructors to move him forward.

Intent on serving as an example for his seven year old son, Frederick often waited outside in cold weather for over an hour in the morning before the school doors were open. He struggled with math at first, but after about two months—much of which was spent in Kennedy-King’s library—his test scores had risen to 11th grade equivalency.

Frederick is a true example of how KKC’s transition program changes lives and breeds success. He passed the Culinary Bridge credit course, passed his Sanitation ServSafe certification exam, and completed his high school equivalency (GED) all in less than the 32 weeks that make up the Bridge curriculum.  

Frederick’s living situation has improved and he’s focusing on work now to provide for his son. Kennedy-King hasn’t seen the last of him, though, as he plans to enroll again down the road and further his education. His goals are like his work ethic – big; he hopes to have his own food truck or work in youth counseling in the future.  

Frederick wanted academic success but needed guidance. City Colleges of Chicago’s goal is to provide a realistic and affordable path to success for students who come to us. The two made a perfect match.

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After hearing that Daley had a great GED program, Kristina Stattner decided to enroll in the program during the summer of 2016. She dropped out of high school at age 17 and had been out of school for half of her life before deciding to further her education. Kristina, a mother of 7, completed her GED this month and is a Gateway Scholar who will begin taking prerequisite courses for the nursing program in the fall. Her goal is to become a labor and delivery nurse. “After seeing the role of labor and delivery nurses first hand during the births of my children, I feel that it is something I would like to do,” she says. When asked what she would tell those who are contemplating returning to school after many years Kristina says, “Believe in yourself and strive. There is no one who can tell me that I can’t do it. To me it is always ‘yes, I can.’”

Interested in completing your GED? Learn more at www.ccc.edu/GED.

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Jessica Hamilton thrived as a Star Scholar at Malcolm X College. After graduating from Truman Middle College high school, she focused on finance at City Colleges of Chicago. While at Malcolm X, Jessica took advantage of the tutoring offered, receiving help with her homework and assistance preparing for exams. She believes the Star program provided a valuable and necessary foundation for completing a four-year degree. In her words the Star Scholarship gave her “the chance (she) never thought she’d get.”

Jessica was accepted into six universities to continue her education: UIC, Robert Morris, Roosevelt, Loyola, DePaul, and Northern Illinois University. She plans to enroll at either DePaul or Loyola in Fall 2017.

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Ozzy graduated from both Sarah Goode STEM Academy and City Colleges of Chicago this spring, receiving both a high school diploma and an associate degree. Ozzy studied web development at Daley College and was a member of Daley’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society while simultaneously completing his high school studies. He was awarded the President’s Scholarship and was accepted into the honors college at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he will begin taking classes this coming fall. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Congratulations, Ozzy!

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Meet Jada DeJesus, Chicago STAR Scholar.  Jada began attending Wright College in fall 2015 as one of the members of the inaugural class of Chicago STAR Scholars.  This fall she is headed to Northwestern University where she has been admitted to The School of Communication and will be majoring in international business.  Northwestern is one of 17 Chicago-area colleges and universities partnering with City Colleges to provide special scholarships to Chicago STAR students like Jada.  As a participant in the STAR partnership program, Jada will receive up to $50,000 per year toward the completion of her bachelor’s degree at NU.  Way to go, Jada!

Though attending a community college was not her first choice, she is extremely glad she made the decision to attend Wright.  “Community college for me was not the end but rather a new and better beginning,” says Jada.  “Not only did I save $20,000 in student loans by attending Wright, I was also admitted to one of the top schools in the country.  I am grateful for the STAR scholarship, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”    

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Jakub Pyrzynski holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry having begun his studies at Wright College before moving on to a four-year school, but as time passed he found he had an interest in information technology and began taking classes again at Wright to explore his interest. This led him to learning about the new Cyber Security Training Boot Camp being offered for the next 24 weeks at Wright. He said with his burgeoning interest in I.T. and the challenge the intensive program presented, he decided to enroll, keeping an open mind about what opportunities the certificate course could lead to.

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In his own words, Wright College was Kenny’s second chance at an education and he was grateful for the opportunity to prove himself academically. Kenny dropped out of high school and headed into the working world as an electrical technician working on industrial electrical equipment. He found himself wondering how the equipment he was fixing actually worked. He also thought he’d like to be the person designing it. He looked around and thought that it was too easy to keep letting time slide by, and decided to get his GED. After passing the GED exam, he headed to Wright College at the recommendation of some of his coworkers.

There, he found himself a part of a community of classmates and faculty who were passionate about what they were teaching. “Wright lets you connect with your professor and classmates more than you would at a larger college. At Wright, you build a lot of relationships with fellow classmates and teachers.”

These close relationships and access to faculty helped Kenny overcome his biggest challenge: believing he could go back to school and do well. “I don’t really think I believed that I was capable of things. I didn’t believe in myself. I dropped out of high school, so I started with small goals and kept building: get my GED, go back to school, figure out what I want to do, figure out where I want to transfer. I finally realized I wasn’t giving myself enough credit and learned that if I truly set my mind to something, I could do it.”

This dedication and hard work has led Kenny to study computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he began classes this semester. He says the transition has been smooth and he feels as though his classes at Wright prepared him to jump into classes as a junior. He also thinks that community colleges don’t get enough credit. “The theory is that if you start at a community college, you aren’t going to succeed, but students need to get past that stigma – going this route can be just as fruitful and lead to the same success as starting at a 4-year institution.”

Overall, Kenny says he wouldn’t change anything about his educational journey. “I want to give a huge shout out to Wright College. It opened doors for me – I wouldn’t be at U of I and I wouldn’t have been able to follow my passion. I was given a second chance and I was welcomed with open arms – not all schools would do that.”

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Coming to America from El Salvador when she was 10-years-old, Bertha Mendoza worked hard as a student, but her options were limited when she graduated from George Washington High School. Because she was not eligible for financial aid, she felt like a degree was simply out of reach for her financially. With limited career options, Bertha focused on another passion – starting a family.

After the passage of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Bertha realized she could still be a mother while also achieving her career goals. She started classes after going through the DACA application process. By this time, she had spent years outside of the classroom and going back was scary. She didn’t know if she could be successful, and she was unsure if she would be able to balance her classes with her family responsibilities. Bertha credits her family with always being an amazing safety net to help her achieve her goals. The support they gave, both emotionally and physically, are a big reason why Bertha was always able to stay committed to her schoolwork.

Now that she has finished her associate degree, Bertha plans to continue her studies in Spanish education at a four-year university. What Bertha will miss most is the personal interactions she had at Olive-Harvey College. “Olive-Harvey does a great job making you feel like you belong,” she says. “You’re always a person at Olive-Harvey. You’re never a number.”

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Convenience was a big consideration for Manases when he was thinking about college. Not only was Richard J. Daley College within walking distance of his home, but it was definitely the right price for him and his parents after he was awarded the Star Scholarship, allowing him to go to Daley without having to pay tuition or book costs. Without that cost, Manases was able to focus on academics and didn’t need to worry about working while going through school or taking out student loans.

That doesn’t mean the transition from high school was easy. He was forced to learn how to be an independent learner, managing his time and making sure he was keeping on top of his academics without constant reinforcement. He used student resources to help him when he didn’t have answers. He worked with the tutoring center for academic help, received resume building tips from the career center, and went to the Wellness Center to get tips for helping to manage personal issues.

With an interest in virtual reality technology, Manases will be transferring to continue his education in computer science, building software from the ground up in that medium. As he prepares to leave CCC, he knows that he made the right decision by attending Daley College. “Daley is a great transition from high school to college,” he says. “Universities can be a little overwhelming. They know you’re starting something new when you come to Daley College and they really work to guide you.”

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After not being able to attend her preferred college after graduating high school, Epiphany Casey spent a year working retail before a phone call changed her educational outlook. Her mother got a call from Malcolm X College telling her about different options for students to start classes. It started to build momentum, pushing Epiphany to start working toward her goals. After finally enrolling at Malcolm X College, she quit her job to concentrate on school when her employer refused to work around her school schedule. She knew she wanted more than her current job, and she knew what she needed to do to get there.

Despite being anxious, transitioning into the classroom was easier for Epiphany than she initially expected. The students and teachers made the college feel homey to her. She formed strong bonds with her instructors, who were always willing to put in extra time and answer questions when she needed help. This mentality of being part of a family carried over into Epiphany’s job as a student ambassador, helping other new students get to know their surrounding and help them transition into a new environment when City Colleges opened a brand new Malcolm X College building.

As Epiphany prepares to move on to build a career as a pharmacy technician, hopefully working in inpatient facilities, she values everything that Malcolm X College has done for her. “MXC is a great place to start,” she says. “It gives students all the resources they need to succeed.”

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As a relatively new resident of Chicago, Kana has certainly made the most of her time here. Having moved to Chicago from Japan three-and-a-half years ago with her husband for his job, Kana arrived with limited English skills. Discouraged because she couldn’t understand much English, she decided to enroll in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Truman College. After a year of honing her English, she applied to the Gateway Program, which helps ESL and GED students move into credit courses at City Colleges. She soon found her niche in math classes and became a tutor at the Tutoring Center. After focusing on learning English for herself, it felt good to be able to help others with her math abilities.

She enjoyed her time at Truman because she feels that everyone has equal opportunities. “Even though I’m not an American citizen, I was older than many of the other students, and I am a woman pursuing mechanical engineering, I was always treated equally.” She was also able to utilize the academic advisors, transfer advisors, Writing Center, and Math Center. “I took advantage of all the resources Truman offers!”

Now a mechanical engineering student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Kana says it’s tough, especially while she is continually striving to improve her communications skills. However, she has a support system in a group of students from City Colleges who transferred to IIT together, which she says is a huge advantage. Kana hope to continue her education and earn her master’s degree at IIT.

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Health problems heavily affected Cymba McReynolds’ performance in high school, so her options where limited when she graduated. After taking a year off between high school and college, a healthier Cymba started at Kennedy-King College as an affordable way to transition to college and get her GPA back up to where she wanted it to be.

As someone who loves learning, a reinvigorated Cymba immediately took to student life. It felt good to be back in the classroom, but she did have to learn new ways to manage her time, particularly in writing heavy classes. Luckily, she always found the help she needed and adapted to the changes with ease. As she prepares to finish at Kennedy-King, Cymba hoping to go on a study abroad trip to China, which she learned about by being a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor’s Society. “If I can go overseas and come back better, I feel like I can do anything,” she says. Her ultimate goal is to continue her education and eventually open a business in her local community.

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Donggyun (Kevin) Woo is no stranger to studying far from home. Born and raised in South Korea, Kevin left his fine arts high school in Seoul to finish his secondary schooling in Canada. When he graduated high school, Kevin set his sights on going to college in the United States. He initially chose Chicago because he expected a warmer and more enjoyable weather than what he experienced in Canada. Though he concedes he might have been a little off-base with that assertion, Kevin quickly fell in love with his new home.

Looking for a college offering a convenient location at an affordable price, Kevin picked Harold Washington College sight unseen. In fact, Kevin arrived in Chicago on the first day of his first semester. Thanks to the dedicated help of an international student advisor, Kevin was able to enroll in a full-time schedule and begin classes immediately.

Kevin got involved on campus as soon as he arrived, taking a role as a Student Government Association Senator in his first semester, and then becoming Harold Washington’s SGA Vice President in his second semester. During his first year, Kevin frequently attended the Transfer Center Workshops to figure out his post-graduation route. While attending those events, He discovered the concept of valedictorian and transfer requirements of selective universities. Since then, he has worked hard to achieve his newly-earned goals. In his second year, he was elected as SGA President for Harold Washington College, a role that allowed him to work and interact with students on a daily basis. Having served as SGA president and being selected as valedictorian, he feels grateful for CCC's provision of opportunities. “Being able to represent my college in various ways was something that I've wanted to accomplish from the start,” he said. “So in that sense, it is literally my dream coming true.”

Finishing his AS degree in Mathematics, Kevin is making his final decisions about his next transfer destination. He is currently admitted to the School of General Studies at Columbia University and waiting on other selective universities' admission decision. He will be seeking a degree in computer science or applied mathematics so that he can build a career as a financier.

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Eriana Glover loves learning. Playing basketball in high school at Lynbloom College Prep, Eriana quit so she could focus on her grades and academics. As graduation approached, her counselors were pushing students toward four-year universities, but Eriana, being the oldest of six children, knew financing college would be difficult for her and her family. She was eventually very relieved when one of her counselors told her about the Star Scholarship, a new opportunity at the City Colleges of Chicago that would allow her to go to school without having to pay for tuition or books.

Being a good student in high school quickly carried over to college, but that doesn’t mean Eriana wouldn’t change certain things about her time at Daley College. “I wish I knew about the clubs and organizations at the college,” she said. “Getting involved adds so much to the college experience, and I wish I had known more about it during my first year on campus.”

Eriana especially appreciates how the Career Center worked with her to help craft a better resume and for providing her good leads on potential jobs. The Transfer Center was a great resource for finding scholarship opportunities now that she is getting ready to transition to a four-year institution. Eriana plans to major in continue her education to become either a community dietitian or a management dietitian, working to help communities and restaurants build better menus and eating habits to create healthier communities.

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Daniel always knew how important an education was, but his plans were derailed when finances forced him to drop out of the four-year university he attended after graduating high school. He took time away from the classroom after that, focusing on work while volunteering at the nearby Salvation Army and providing his services as a local mentor for younger kids. When his brother was old enough to start college, Daniel decided to be a supportive sibling and they started classes together at Malcolm X College. From his time in a four-year environment, the transition into the classroom was smooth for Daniel. He knew exactly what to expect and was ready for the type of mentality and habits that are needed to succeed in the college environment.

Being a good student doesn’t mean Daniel didn’t have questions sometimes. He utilized the Tutoring Center, especially for his science classes, and went to the transfer center when he started thinking about potential destinations after graduating. There, he was able to find waivers for application fees that helped him submit applications to his dream schools. “Malcolm X College is amazing,” he said. “It is a great place to prepare you for the future, and you have such a close knit, community feel when you’re on campus.”

As he nears completion of his associate degree, Daniel has also completed an exam to join the police academy. He wants to be a positive symbol in his community and create bonds between Chicagoans and the police force.

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After working as a massage therapist for a number of years after high school, Jenna knew it was time to think about a career change when an injury to her shoulder made it difficult to do her job well. Being interested in the health field, she was attracted to the dental hygiene program at Kennedy-King College. While she was anxious about starting classes after being gone for so long, she found that she fit in with her classmates really well. While she was shy at first, she says the rigor of the program quickly brought her classmates together as they developed their own support system.

Working as a tutor and putting in many hours of clinic work at the MXC Dental Hygiene Clinic, Jenna credits her faculty with driving her success. “The faculty don’t just teach,” she says. “They are truly passionate and they create an environment that builds that passion inside of you too.”

As she finishes her degree, Jenna plans to start working once she passes her board exams. During that time, she will be saving money to eventually complete her bachelor’s degree.