University News

Hope Chicago Provides New Opportunities

December 12, 2022

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MACOMB, IL – This fall, nearly 60 students from Chicago enrolled at Western Illinois University as part of a new two-generation college scholarship program committed to investing $1 billion in postsecondary scholarships to Chicago Public School students and their parents over the next decade.

Tammie Leigh Brown-Edwards, a recent WIU College Student Personnel graduate and longtime Macomb resident, was hired to serve as the new adviser for the WIU's inaugural Hope Chicago program. As a Hope Chicago partner university, incoming Hope Scholars at Western are eligible for the full suite of comprehensive support that Hope Chicago offers including scholarships to cover all academic and extracurricular-related expenses.

"Western's Hope Scholars are having a tremendously positive experience during their first semester. Many of them have shared the welcoming environment they have felt on and off campus. Some of them thought the transition from high school to college, and from urban to rural would be a hard adjustment, but they all have said the ease of coming to Western made those thoughts of uncertainty disappear," Edwards-Brown said. "Hope Scholars are not only excited about their academic journey at Western, but they are also equally excited about the incoming Hope Scholars from their former high schools who have committed to attend WIU next year."

Carel Smith, an exercise science major at Western, is a member of the first Hope Chicago class at Western. He said it was WIU's friendly environment and athletics program that led him to Macomb, Illinois.

"My experience with Hope Chicago has been incredible, and I want other students who want to go to college to know that Hope Chicago provides a wonderful opportunity," Smith said. "One of things that drew me to Western, as a Hope Scholar, is how friendly everyone was when I visited, compared to other schools I visited. My advice for future Hope Scholars is to look at all your options, think about what you really want to do in life, and if college is your next step, go for it. It will not be easy, but it will not be impossible. Just take the step."

Western was one of the first partner universities with Hope Chicago, according to Brown-Edwards. Incoming Hope Scholars are eligible for the full suite of comprehensive support that Hope Chicago offers including scholarships to cover all academic and extracurricular-related expenses. In addition to providing traditional college-age students access to education, Hope Chicago also provides debt-free access to education for their parents and guardians. According to Amber Schultz, WIU's vice president for enrollment management, Western anticipates including parents and guardians in a revised agreement with Western next year.

Journ Burns, a freshman psychology major, said the Hope Chicago experience "was a fairytale come true."

"The anticipation of hearing that we would be receiving full ride scholarships was unmatched, and Western had my major and minor. Being here and being on campus, WIU was definitely the school for me. Inclusiveness is what really gets me. There are so many different ways to feel included and coming from the youngest of two different families sometimes you feel alone or like a mere shadow," Burns explained. "My first semester at WIU went well. My professors for the most part were very kind and the classes I picked went well with my interests.

Burns has some advice for other students about Hope Chicago …. think of Hope Chicago as your parents.

"You wouldn't go to school and waste your parents' money by not taking it seriously. Why do it to the foundation of Hope Chicago," she added.

Davionna Johnson, a graduate of Morgan Park High School, is in WIU's pre-nursing program. Her goal is to become a registered nurse.

"I heard WIU had a good nursing program so that's what brought me here," Johnson said. "Western is a good school and it's going well so far. My advice to future scholars is to not give up on your dreams."

For more information, visit wiu.edu/hope or hopechicago.org.


Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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