North Chicago D187 scholarship program continues to grow; ‘They find careers which are economically sustainable'

Chicago Tribune

6 days ago

As a young girl, Evalyn Alvarez spent a lot of time going places with her grandmother while her mother was at work. One of those places was the doctor's office, as her grandmother sought diabetes treatment.
Sitting there with her grandmother, Alvarez saw frustration in the woman's face sensing she did not understand everything that was happening. As Alvarez got older, and her English became fluent — Spanish is her first language — she became her grandmother's interpreter. There was a change.
'As I did that, she understood everything and she felt better,' Alvarez said. 'I saw this with other people, too. I knew if I went into healthcare, I could help people. You can really help people in the medical field.'
Now studying for the state exam to earn a certificate as a medical assistant to go to work in that field, Alvarez earned her associate's degree in May from the College of Lake County, studying to go into the healthcare profession.
Alvarez was one of 19 members of the North Chicago Community High School Class of 2023's Warhawk Lancer Scholars, providing her with tuition and other resources to complete her studies and reach the cusp of embarking on her career.
Starting with six students from the Class of 2020, the program grew to 26 scholars this year. District 187 Superintendent John Price said the scholarship is not need-based. Participants complete an application process and are selected on merit.
Along with tuition to CLC, Price said the scholarship includes fees, books, supplies, a new computer, counseling, mentoring and a $3,000 annual stipend to help with expenses they incur during the school year.
Some students complete their two-year associate's degree from CLC and matriculate to a four-year college or university, like Jasmine Nieto, who earned a business degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago last spring. She plans a career in business management.
Still more of the Warhawk Lancer Scholars — Price said the ratio is approximately 2-to-1 — like Alvarez and Jose Cervantes find good, well-paying careers in healthcare, a skilled trade or dental hygiene while at CLC.
'I love that they find careers which are economically sustainable,' Price said, 'A lot of them come out of high school not knowing what they want to do. We provide counseling (during the program) to help them decide.'
Since the Warhawk Lancer program started six years ago, it has grown nearly fourfold. After awarding six in 2020, the cohorts grew to 10 in 2021, 16 in 2022, 19 in 2023, 25 in 2024 and 26 this year.
As the program grew, District 187 added another program in 2022 for graduates who want a career in early childhood education. Price said the North Chicago Public Education Foundation was started to raise money for both programs and an emergency fund. It now has an executive director and a counselor.
With 26 students heading to CLC as Warhawk Lancer Scholars this year, Price said another 24 2025 graduates are enrolling as well. Price said he wants to raise enough money through the foundation to eventually give a Warhawk Lancer Scholarship to everyone going there.
Some of the scholars enter CLC with an idea of what they want to do, while others need to explore possibilities from the array of choices at the college. Mary Kenney, the foundation's director of student success, helps them explore the opportunities.
'Some want a medical career,' Kenney said. 'I help them look at all the possibilities. Some want premed, but eventually find something else in the medical field. If someone wants a career in medicine or engineering, I counsel them to look at courses in math and science.'
Alvarez said Kenney was a big help to her. So was the Warhawk Lancer alum who became her mentor. Just as the $3,000 stipend allowed her to go to CLC without working at the same time, Kenney and her mentor helped in their own way.
'Ms. Kenney made me feel good when we talked and I asked questions,' Alvarez said. 'I was able to ask my mentor a lot of questions.'
Nieto, who is looking for a career in operations management, said she became a mentor as she transitioned from CLC to Northeastern. She wanted to help guide them as others had done the same for her.
'Some of them were first-gen like myself,' Nieto said, referring to those who are the first member of their family to go to college. 'It makes me feel like I'm helping them like others helped me.'
Starting at CLC, Nieto said she took classes required for her associate's degree. Some were business-related because she knew she wanted to be a part of the business world and pursue a four-year degree in business administration.
'I like operations management because you oversee the day-to-day operations of the business,' Nieto said. 'You solve problems and make sure everything runs smoothly.'
When Cervantes started at CLC, he knew he wanted to develop a skill that would lead to a good-paying job. He explored the welding, automotive technician and collision repair programs. He talked to teachers in all three, decided on collision repair and now works as an apprentice at a body shop.
'It makes me feel good to see a fixed car,' Cervantes said. 'When you see all that damage, you're not sure what you're going to do. You have to be patient because there are a lot of things you have to do.'
With the program seeing students through three years at CLC if needed, Price said three members of the first cohort of six completed the program, with two earning degrees and one a certificate. Of the 10 in the second group, five finished with three degrees and two earned certificates.
Of the 16 from the Class of 2022, nine finished the program with five degrees, two certificates, two transfers and two still active. From the 19 students in the Class of 2023, eight finished with four receiving degrees, three certificates, a transfer and six still active in their third year.