Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Timothy Avant
Timothy Avant used to live five houses down from the Truman College campus. Now, he’s a student at the college, preparing to become an early childhood educator tuition-free with the support of two scholarships: the Men of Color in Education Initiative and the Chicago Early Learning Workforce Scholarship (CELWS). The former Broadway actor knew he…
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Italia Staine
The journey to my high school diploma was not an easy one. It started in 2016 when I was about to turn 17 years old. I was young—but I had already been through many obstacles. After working hard to overcome them, I decided to better myself and my future. That’s why, in 2020, I enrolled…
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Isabel Cervantes
If you can see it, you can be it. A program at Malcolm X College helped Isabel Cervantes “see” herself in places she had never thought about before and is inspiring her to dream bigger. Isabel is pursuing her Associate in Science degree. She’s also a member of Advancing Opportunities for Women in STEM (AOWS),…
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Mayra Hurbieta
Mayra Hurbieta’s life now looks nothing like it did when she started as a student at Wright College in February 2019. “Three years ago, if you were to tell me I was here doing this, I’d say you’re lying,” she said. In 2019, the Belmont Cragin resident thought she wanted to be a teacher. By…
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Alexis Cuadrado
I once heard the quote: “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is pulling you back with difficulties, it means it’s going to launch you into something great.” I connected to this idea so much as a teenager that I ended up getting an arrow tattoo. To this day, I…
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Dawshierra Melton
Malcolm X College’s Phlebotomy program has already set Dawshierra Melton up for a successful career: she’s a phlebotomist at Northwestern. Now, she’s back in school at Malcolm X preparing to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). As a phlebotomist, Dawshierra spends her days drawing blood, which is something she really enjoys. But helping patients has…
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Nina Florez
Nina Florez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who is currently working as a field producer for NBC Chicago. Her job revolves around telling unique and impactful stories about other people—but her own story fits that description, too. Nina, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and moved to the U.S. when she was 8 years old,…
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Will Leary
Wright College Addictions Studies student Will Leary isn’t afraid to try new things. Chicago is his home, but he enjoys living in different places and taking in new experiences. Will graduated from college in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, but he’s also spent time working in other industries. Once the pandemic hit,…
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Ivette Trevino
As a first-generation college student, Ivette Trevino feels proud of having received her associate degree from Richard J. Daley College in 2005. “Working at my pace at my time, at Daley, really prepared me for where I’m at today,” said Ivette. Ivette enrolled in accounting and business courses in 1999-2002 that sparked a huge interest…
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Evan Boyle
Evan Boyle was 15 when he dropped out of his North Carolina high school and earned his GED. Soon after, he entered the workforce full-time. He moved to Chicago and spent many years in the restaurant and bar industry. “When COVID hit, my job hours were massively reduced, so I decided to go back to…
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