Are you a first-generation college student? Do you want to make a difference by engaging in the performing arts? If so, there's an exciting project that awaits you!  Through a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is collaborating with New York-based contemporary theater organization, SITI Company, to engage selected communities in the performing arts. One of these selected communities is first-generation college students.  The project will provide an opportunity for students to decide what should be performed on stage in order to help make first-generation communities more visible. The students will then have the opportunity to perform the show! The creators, directors, and actors with SITI Company, along with the Krannert Center, will provide the infrastructure for this three-year project.  Year one is planning, year two is performing, and year three is evaluating. The artists will return to campus April 2-6, 2014. Between now and then, there are opportunities for students participating in the project to get to know each other and attend shows at the Krannert Center as a group. If you want to participate or would like additional information, please email Monique Rivera at merivera@illinois.edu.

Richard and Susan Herman Senior Essay Competition

 "As a public university, we must ensure that talented students of all economic backgrounds have access to our programs.   

 

If you are an I-Promise senior, you can express what your scholarship has meant personally by participating in the Richard and Susan Herman Senior Essay Competition. In a 500-word essay, you need to answer the following two questions:  What has attending the U of I and receiving the I-Promise scholarship meant to you?  What are your bold dreams for the future?  The author of the winning essay has the

Emily Malamud

honor of presenting the essay at the I-Promise Senior Reception on April 4. In addition, the winner is acknowledged with a beautiful award and a $500 financial contribution that is applied to reduce any college loans.  Last year's essay winner was Emily Malamud. The deadline for submission is Monday, February 17.  Please send the essay as a PDF attachment to Susan Gershenfeld sgershen@illinois.edu with your name in the subject line. Questions? Contact Susan at 217.244.7719.

 

Join Us to Improve Your "Dining Skills for Today" - March 19

 

Soon enough you'll be entering the working world. A lot of business is conducted at parties and dinners, meetings that on the surface seem purely social. Knowing how to take advantage of the potential in these situations adds to your 9-to-5 abilities, especially since many people are not at ease in such environments. Dining Skills for Today will give you a useful set of tools for those special situations where business relationships are developed and strengthened in social settings.

 

Presenter/Facilitator Beth Reutter will cover: Business Entertaining, Host/Hostess and Guest Duties, Place Settings, Silverware Savvy, The Silent Service Code, Body Language at the Table, Handling Accidents, Difficult to Eat Foods, Forms of Service, American and Continental Styles of Eating, and Toasting, as well as other dining tips.

 

This event is partially subsidized to help defray the cost per I-Promise student. RSVP before February 19 and receive the early-bird discount -- $10 per person. After this date, the charge is $15 per person and reservations will be accepted until March 12.  The full cost of this dinner and educational opportunity would normally be about four-times what is being charged. For further information and to reserve your seat, call Susan Gershenfeld at 217.244.7719 or email sgershen@illinois.edu.

First Week Back on Campus - Spring Semester Images

 

Panel discussion featuring (left to right: Dr. Chris Span, Gabriella Garay, Kim Hodges, Nick Musso, and Dr. Dorothy Espelage) at "Realizing the Dream:  Exploring Social & Economic Class on Campus" a campus forum, which was held during MLK week.

 

   

Senior Nick Musso and Sophomore Sajani Gumidyala co-facilitated a session with I-Promise mentor and Specialist for International Projects, Teneisha Ellis, on ""Study Abroad: A Class All Its Own" to inform I-Promise scholars about the opportunities to study abroad.

Wheels without Breaking the Bank

Considering breaking the bank to buy a car? Alejandra Ortiz de Alba has an alternative that could work for you! Alejandra, a junior in the College of Media, has been using ZipCar for about a year and says it's convenient, affordable and a great way to travel.

Coca-Cola Scholars Double in Numbers!

Last year, I-Promise received a grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation to support six, first-generation, incoming I-Promise scholars. In order to be selected, students needed to be the first member in their family to attend college, along with other criteria.  This academic year, we have a new cohort of six students.  The generosity of the Coca-Cola Foundation will support four cohorts over four years, for a total of 24 Coca-Cola scholars. Mentoring and other support services are provided as part of the program, in addition to scholarship support.

Meet John Seral: U of I Alumnus and I-Promise Donor

 

John Seral

They're the backbone of Illinois Promise. The faces you don't see. The people who believe in you, without seeing your face. They are the donors. University of Illinois alumnus John Seral wants students to have the opportunities he had. That's why he gives back.

 

John laughs as he remembers his parents' advice when applying to college, "Pick a state school and don't screw up!" They didn't have money to pay for college, so John got a summer job at Dominick's and paid for school on his own.

 

While at the University of Illinois, John double majored in Mathematics and Computer Science. He later worked as Chief Information Officer at General Electric Corporation and is currently the Advisory Partner for Clayton Dubilier & Rice. He chooses to give back to his alma mater because of its excellent educational quality, remarkable brand, and the bright students it cultivates.

 

John says, "I realized what the brand of U of I did for my career. The education was the key element that got me to where I wanted to go." He says when applying for jobs, "The minute employers saw Illinois, they saw instant credibility." He wants the same opportunity for Illinois Promise students.  John also wants I-Promise students to experience the same financial freedom he was able to work towards. John says, "When I went to school, I didn't have loans because it was so cheap. I don't want [current students] to worry about the financial aspect and avoid having a huge loan hanging when they graduate."

 

He advises college students to have a plan, to try new things, and to make necessary adjustments. He says, "I came in with one idea that was shaped with classes and internships that I liked. I came out of the university with 100 job opportunities, but you really don't find that passion until you try it."  For graduating students, he says to choose a path and stick to it.  "You might turn left and right. Some people look for an ideal - but if you don't choose a path, you're never going to get there. Head in that direction and connect with sponsors and people who want to invest in you. Sponsors are key people who believe in you."

 

John says he loves giving to I-Promise especially because, "...it's the right thing to do," and he can see the impact of his contribution.  

Dream Turned Reality, Twice

  

José Ortiz became infatuated with Paris, France, when he was five years old. Watching movies like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Rugrats in Paris made him want to experience the city in real life. 

His mother knew taking a vacation was out of her budget, but she continued to foster José's interest by buying him French books and CDs for Christmas. He studied French throughout middle and high school, and he never gave up his dream of living in Paris.

 

This past year José beat the odds as a first-generation college student and made his dream come true not once, but twice. He studied abroad in Paris for two consecutive semesters, and he told I-Promise all about his experience.

 

He believes the opportunity was possible through planning, scholarships, savings, and the moral support of I-Promise. "Before going, I-Promise gave me the opportunity to take it easier on myself and save money. College didn't become a financial burden where I needed to go to work full-time and go to school full-time."

 

Once he arrived, José found an internship at Blogoteque, a blogging company that recorded local concerts. He translated songs from French to English. He got a chance to explore the city, meet cool people and immerse himself in Parisian culture. He said, "My French probably advanced the most out of all the [study abroad] students. I knew Paris more than most people."

 

José stayed in Paris for most of his time abroad. He did, however, visit Venice, Italy, to fulfill his mother's dream. He said, "She always wanted to go to Venice, so it was kind of like I was taking her with me. And it was just very emotional to do something that she would never be able to do."

 

Despite unfavorable weather, José enjoyed Venice. He remembered, "It was so romantic and a very beautiful city." Upon his return to the U.S., José's mom was overwhelmed with emotion. "I got her [Venetian] souvenirs and she just cried. She cried because visiting Venice is something that she always wanted to do."

 

Throughout his trip, José also kept in touch with I-Promise Mentor, Silvia Gonzalez. He called her every time he saw a painting by her favorite artist, JR, and she encouraged him when he got homesick. He said, "It was the fact that I had a mentor, and that I could immediately connect back to home, back to the University of Illinois, back to I-Promise, that was just really comforting."

 

He said, "Study abroad got me out of my comfort zone." He started to see himself as more than a student.

 

Before going abroad he thought, "I'm an Illini. I'm from the University of Illinois. I make really good grades. I'm taking all of these cool classes." Studying abroad humbled him. "When I got there, no one really cared. I think it's important that once you're here, being an Illini is something to take pride in, but you also have to see that there's more to life."

 

Studying abroad put his University of Illinois identity into perspective. "It makes you grow up and see where you need to go next in life. Yes, U of I is something important in my life, but where am I going to go next? " He learned that his past didn't define him, and accomplishing one goal - like attending the University of Illinois - encouraged him to strive for more and more.

 

José encourages students to always follow dreams regardless of economic status. He advises scholars who want to study abroad to begin planning ahead as soon as possible by saving money, looking into funding options, researching countries abroad and preparing for how to deal with culture shock and communicating in a different language (if applicable).

She Didn't Give Up

What makes it impossible to reach for the stars? How about growing up in a culture where women are expected to marry by the age of 18, rather than enter college? Or not having enough money for college? Add in parents who were not formally educated past fifth grade to the equation. None of these obstacles, nor the ones that came later, in life stopped Quyen from believing she could be anything she wanted to be. It is a belief that saw her through an Illinois degree and led her to a career as a physician's assistant (PA).

 

Quyen Bui, and her family moved from Vietnam when she was 12 years old. Immigrating to the United States afforded her new educational opportunities and class mobility. Her family settled in Chicago where she attended a public school and excelled in her classes. After high school she was able to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign thanks, in part, to the Illinois Promise Scholarship. Although she was attending a prestigious university, high school had not prepared her for the rigorous course load. She struggled through material in biology and chemistry classes which was review for most of her classmates.

 

Quyen recalls, "I finished my first semester with minimal grades, and I really thought at that point that I chose the wrong school; I should have gone to the community college." But she didn't give up.

 

Unfortunately, Quyen's parents, never having attended college themselves, didn't understand her challenges and were unable to advise her. She began building relationships within Illinois Promise that gave her the confidence to keep going. She was paired with adult mentor Monica Bielski Boris, who nurtured her ambitious work ethic. She also built friendships with other I-Promise scholars. She said, "I felt a little more comfortable knowing I'm not the only one."

 

Quyen graduated from U of I in 2011 and went on to earn her graduate degree in a physician's assistant program Salus Professional School in Pennsylvania this past September.

 

Quyen expressed satisfaction with the career path she chose, but she explained that she had to make very strategic choices along the way. She said, "Most of the people I knew in college they have a safety net - if they don't have a job after college, their parents can still support them. My parents made it very clear: If I don't find a job after college, they can't help financially."

 

So Quyen did everything she could to prepare for a career while still an undergraduate. She shadowed PA's and doctors at local clinics and worked as an assistant aid at a hospital. And while she enjoyed it all, Quyen's proudest accomplishments include finishing her PA program, getting hands-on experience, and - even before that - starting the Pre-Physician's Assistant Registered Student Organization (RSO) on campus.

 

As a community service project during her senior year, RSO members traveled to Decatur, Illinois, once or twice a month and went door-to-door to give free blood pressure screenings. Decatur is among one of the most economically-challenged areas in the state and Quyen wanted to help in the best way she knew how.

 

One special case stands out to her the most. She recalls, "I came across one man - his blood pressure was off the charts - it was like 300. What that means is he needs to have an ambulance drive him to the emergency room, because he could stroke out any minute, and he had no idea what that means. And we had to tell him, 'You have to get this under control or you could have a stroke any minute now.'" Quyen and fellow students directed him to the hospital and to some local free clinics. 

 

Quyen never let financial obstacles stop her from reaching for the stars. Right now she has several job offers, but she's still looking, because she won't settle for mediocrity. She says, "I have no doubt that I'm going to find the job that is perfect for me."

 

Her advice to current I-Promise students is: "Don't give up!" She says "You may think, 'Why am I going to college? My parents didn't even go to high school.' But don't give up on your decision and what you sought out to do. You never regret doing something. You only regret not doing something and not trying."   

(Left to right): Karla McCowan, Director Counseling Center; Susan Gershenfeld;
and Dynesha Grissom Mason, Clinical Counselor.