Category: Phi Theta Kappa
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Antoinette Hicks
Antoinette Hicks had been out of the classroom for 30 years before deciding to reignite her educational journey at Olive-Harvey College. She had previously attended two years of college at DePaul University but put her studies on hold to start a family. Antoinette’s decision to enroll at Olive-Harvey was strategic—she wanted to find a caring,…
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Olga Sanchez
Olga Sanchez, Daley College’s 2023 salutatorian, grew up in a bilingual household, where Spanish was her first language. Because she moved to the U.S. from Mexico at six months old, Olga wasn’t sure how she would pay for college as an undocumented student. Her teachers at Curie Metro High School told her about the Star…
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Liam Smith
Liam John Smith, Wright College’s 2023 salutatorian, was born in Ukraine and joined his parents in Chicago about 10 years ago. He became a Chicago Public Schools student and attended Taft High School, where he learned about the Star Scholarship. Liam decided to take advantage of the scholarship, and he started his college journey at…
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Selina Badu
Selina Badu, Truman College’s 2023 salutatorian, was born and raised in Ghana, where she attended high school and served as a caretaker for her grandmother. That experience introduced Selina to the healthcare field and motivated her to pursue an education and future career in nursing. She came to Chicago in 2019 and started her college…
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Christina Bernabe
Christina Bernabe, Daley College’s 2023 valedictorian, grew up in Chicago’s Clearing neighborhood and came to Richard J. Daley College in August of 2020. She was a returning college student who had previously put her academic career at another community college on hold due to financial obstacles. Christina had always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur who…
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Nancy Barrera
Nancy Barrera grew up in Chicago on the far South Side and attended Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy High School, where an Advanced Placement United States history class she took during her junior year sparked her interest in politics. So, when she enrolled at Harold Washington College in 2020, the decision to further that interest…
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Deynna Rey
Since Deynna Rey was a child growing up in Venezuela, she dreamed of going to college, but the expense made it feel out of reach. Through a combination of her own hard work and the encouragement she received from faculty and staff at City Colleges of Chicago, Deynna is on her way to a bachelor’s…
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Fabian Williams
A lot has changed throughout my life, but my fascination with computers and computer networks has remained constant. I grew up in Jamaica and moved in 2001 to Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, a wonderful, diverse community. As a new immigrant, I worked various jobs, but I dreamed of working with computers. I earned a few…
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Nathan Vogler
Nathan Vogler returned to school at Harold Washington College after over 10 years since his last formal education experience. Nathan showed his determination through hard work and was the recipient of the Presidential Scholar honor for five consecutive semesters. He also joined the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and was awarded a scholarship through the…
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Andres Gerena
Andres Gerena came to Wright College after graduating from Lane Tech High School and earning the Star Scholarship. He is a part of the college’s guaranteed admissions Engineering Pathways program. At Wright, Andres was involved with multiple organizations and became President of the National Society of Black Engineers—Wright College Chapter. He was a tutor in…