Three South Side high school graduates were
recently honored at the second annual Ada S. McKinley Making College Real
Luncheon for their outstanding scholastic achievements and
for overcoming tremendous odds through perseverance and determination.
The event
was held at the University Club of Chicago and attended by 200 educators,
McKinley supporters and Chicago corporate leaders. The honorees received scholarships ranging
from $1,000 to $5,000 to help pay for the cost of their educations. Following are brief snippets of their
inspiring stories:
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Latezia Coleman, award recipient
Photo by Jasmin Shah |
Latezia
Coleman was placed with the Department of
Children and Family Services while she was still a freshman at Wendell Phillips
High School because her mother, who was dying of pancreatic cancer, could no
longer care for her. Her aunt tried her
best to fill the void. Unfortunately,
she could not replicate the close bond Coleman had with her mother who eventually
succumbed to the disease a year later.
The hardships Coleman endured and the loss she experienced could have
derailed her pursuit of higher education.
Instead, they made her stronger and more focused toward her long-term
goals.
Today, Colman ranks first in her graduating class with a 3.5 grade point
average. In school, she was a member of
the cheerleading squad and of STRIVE (Strategies To Rejuvenate Interest and Value in Education)
– a partnership between Youth Guidance, the Chicago
Public Schools and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services –
which helps wards of the state lead safe and productive lives as they
transition to adulthood.
This
fall, Coleman will be attending Illinois State University, where she plans to
major in journalism. She hopes to one
day write a book that will inspire young people experiencing similar
hardships. “It is my desire to encourage
others by showing them that those who face the worst hardships are often times
the most resilient and the most determined to succeed,” explained Colman.
Kwanita Woods
started out in life without much confidence in her abilities. “For most of my childhood, I always felt as
if I just wasn’t good enough or that there was always someone better than
I. So why even try? You know what I
mean?” For Woods, the road to gaining
confidence was a long one. But it
eventually surfaced – little by little – as she began to accomplish more,
particularly academically.
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From Left: Al P. Debonnett, Chief Operating Officer,
International CyberBanque, Executive Director George Jones Jr.,
Tony Ziak, award recipient Kwanita Woods, board member
Carol Bell. Photo by Jasmine Shah. |
Woods,
who graduated from Percy L. Julian High School, ranked 10th in her
class with a 3.8 grade point average.
She was treasurer of her school’s National Honor Society, a Principal’s
Scholar, and a member of the cheerleading squad and the track team. She will be attending Florida A&M
University this fall, with a major in business entrepreneurship.
“Eventually,
I would like to start a family business – such as a hair salon. It is my goal to be a role model for other
disenfranchised young men and women going through the Chicago public school
system,” said Woods who still cannot believe all that she has accomplished . .
. so far. As she looks toward the
future, she beams with pride over something her mother recently said, “I
couldn’t have asked for a better daughter.”
Latavia Hill
comes from one of the most underserved communities in the city. For her, the dream of a college education
could have been just too impossible to imagine. However, she was instilled –
and blessed – with an innate will to succeed.
Said Hill, “Despite my circumstances, I grew up believing that I can
accomplish anything if I just worked hard enough.”
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From Left: Board member Carol Bell, Assistant Principal Antonio Ross,
award winner Kwanita Wood, Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III,
UMBC President and Keynote Speaker,
award winner Latezia Coleman, Executive Director George Jones, Jr.
Photo by Jasmin Shah |
Hill,
who graduated from Hyde Park Career Academy with a 3.8 grade point average, ranked
first in her class. She was part of the
International Baccalaureate course of study at her high school and was a member
of the Senior Girls Council and SAVE – Students against Violence Everywhere –
which is a national organization devoted to school violence prevention. She plans to become a doctor and will begin
her studies at Philander Smith College this fall, majoring in biology.
“I
come from a family of 15 brothers and sisters, said Hill. “Yet, I’m the first in my family to attend
college. It is my hope that all my
siblings get the same opportunities I had, persevere and continue with their
education through college, and lead productive lives. For those reasons, it is especially important
that I set the example – and the bar – for them.”
*Latavia Hill was unable to attend the Ada S. McKinley Making College Real Luncheon because of a previously scheduled academic event. Hyde Park Career Academy's Assistant Principal, Antonio Ross accepted the award on her behalf.
