Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Claudio Ramirez
Seventeen years. That’s how long Claudio Ramirez was incarcerated. Forty. That’s how old Claudio was when he was released from prison. Two weeks. That’s the time it took him, after being released, to enroll in classes at Richard J. Daley College to get his life back on track. As he re-entered society, Claudio was living…
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Lisa Willis
Twenty-two years ago, Lisa Willis walked through the doors of Malcolm X College—and she never left. She now serves as the Dean of Student Services at the college, but when Lisa was a Malcolm X student, she never imagined herself where she is today. Lisa’s City Colleges journey began at the South Chicago Learning Center,…
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Ruth Flores
Little Village native Ruth Flores is still adjusting to her recent transfer from Richard J. Daley College to the University of Illinois Chicago. But, because she is a Star Plus Scholar, she’s able to focus more on her studies than on how she’s going to pay for school. Ruth received the Star Scholarship for two…
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Beatriz Lockett
Beatriz Lockett has called a few places in Chicago home, including the Back of the Yards and Humboldt Park neighborhoods—but she never really felt at home at school. She even tried starting college four times. However, it wasn’t until the fourth and final time that she got the college degree she always wanted—and so much…
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Erik Zetina
21-year-old Erik Zetina has always enjoyed crime shows. So, after graduating from Carl Schurz High School in 2018, he decided to explore a future in the industry, starting with criminal justice courses at Wright College. The campus was nearby his Portage Park home, making it easy to physically get to class—but Erik said he was…
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Kaileigh Boggs
Kaileigh Boggs, a Star Scholarship recipient, began her journey to further her education at Malcolm X College in 2018. Due to her strong grades at CPS, the scholarship enabled Kaileigh to pursue her degree at no cost, including free tuition and books. Additionally, she was determined to be the first in her family to graduate…
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Brittany Roberts
Brittany Roberts had no idea that a trip to her daughter’s school would change her life. Brittany was tired from a long day at work, but, before she could go home, she had to stop by her oldest daughter’s school to pick up her report card. While there, she noticed “Austin Coming Together,” a Malcolm…
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Bara Zalloum
When Bara Zalloum was surprised with a $5,000 scholarship at a computer science fair he was judging, he was “at a loss for words.” “I was not expecting it at all,” Bara said. “To hear my friends at the event rooting for me was heartwarming… it was surreal.” Like Bara, many of those friends are…
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Erica and Anjelize Camacho
For Angelize and Erica Camacho, Malcolm X College’s Basic Nursing Assistant pinning ceremony was a moment to remember. The mother-daughter duo celebrated the end of 2021 by walking across the stage one after another, cheered on by a crowd of siblings, parents, and other loved ones in the audience. “I was thinking to myself, ‘wow,…
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Sandra Magallon
Born to immigrant parents from Michoacán, México, Sandra Magallon was raised in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood and attended Curie High School. She dreamed of continuing her education at a four-year university after her high school graduation in 1990, but she didn’t receive the support she needed to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Instead, she was encouraged…
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