Not only is Michael Beauford the second Star Scholar in his family, he’s earned a scholarship at Governors State University ensuring he won’t have to pay tuition for any of his undergraduate classes.
Born and raised on Chicago’s far South West Side, Michael attended Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep. While he was there, his mom heard the mayor talking about an amazing opportunity that would allow CPS students to earn an associate degree for free – the Star Scholarship. His older brother took advantage of the scholarship to attend Malcolm X College, and Michael, who did not want to take out loans, also jumped at the opportunity.
He chose Daley College because it was the closest City College to his home. He earned a spot in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, maintained straight As, spent a lot of time in the Tutoring Center, and discovered an interest in accounting – his future career.
“I took Managerial and Financial Accounting with Felicia Baldwin and thought it was so interesting. The more I learned about accounting, the more I wanted to study it. Plus, there are a lot of jobs and opportunities for advancement in the field,” he explained.
Eventually, he’d like to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and own his own business, but first he’s on his way to Governors State to get a bachelor’s degree in accounting after earning his associate degree at Daley in the spring of 2019.