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...

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...

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),...

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...

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...

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,...