Mariela Gallegos has completed the basic nursing assistant (BNA) certificate at Malcolm X College, she’s a certified nursing assistant (CNA), and she already has a number of college courses and credits under her belt. On top of all that, she also just graduated high school. Mariela was able to find early success through the Early...

Being undocumented has always played a big role in who I am. But it’s also been my biggest challenge in pursuing higher education. At least that’s what I thought before. I came to Chicago from Uruguay when I was almost a year old and grew up sharing a one-bedroom apartment with my family in Albany...

Vincent Smith is celebrating two big life moments this summer: receiving his high school diploma and earning his first college degree. The senior at Corliss STEM High School is the first student from his school to earn an associate degree from City Colleges of Chicago prior to high school graduation. Conveniently, Olive-Harvey College is only...

Raven Jones is well on her way to her college degree – and she is just graduating from Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy this spring. This summer, the Marquette Park resident finished up the last two classes she needs to earn an associate degree from Daley College before she heads to Eastern Illinois University in...

Twenty-year-old Cesilia Aguilar’s path to Wilbur Wright College and her future career wasn’t always so certain. But becoming a student at Wright has helped her decide on a future she thinks will be fulfilling, will inspire her siblings, and will support her entire family. Cesilia began college at a four-year university in Illinois, but she...

Tia Wilson has always wanted to be a nurse. Now, the Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy High School senior is a big step closer. In addition to the 44 college credit hours she earned while still in high school, Tia also has her first post-secondary credential: Community Health Care Worker, Basic Certificate. While she worked...