Photo caption (L to R): Dr. Johnnie Thomas, Superintendent of Rich Township High School District 227 and President of the Superintendents’ Commission, Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, CEO of Southland College Prep High School and Superintendent of Matteson School District 162, Lisa Rollins, UNCF Regional Director, and Dr. Creg Williams, Interim Superintendent of West Harvey-Dixmoor School District 147 and Executive Director of the Superintendents’ Commission
Eighty students will receive scholarships at the banquet on March 21 as a result of the partnership of a group of Chicago area school superintendents and the United Negro College Fund.
Following a highly successful “Investing in Our Future” Scholarship Gala in January that raised more than $400,000 (see photo above), the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Diversity and Demographics (SCSDD) in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is set to distribute scholarships at the March 21 event.
“Seeing these scholarships being awarded is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, as well as the commitment of our community to support their educational dreams,” said Dr. Johnnie Thomas, president of the Superintendents’ Commission and Superintendent of Rich Township High School District 227. “It’s a proud moment for all of us.”
Students will receive scholarships to help fund their post-secondary education at a school of their choice. Ten full-ride scholarships to Tougaloo College, a Historically Black College and University in Mississippi, will also be awarded.
The Superintendents’ Commission is composed of 37 elementary and secondary superintendents and school districts in suburban Cook and collar counties, dedicated to providing quality educational opportunities for all students.
This was the second year the Superintendents’ Commission joined forces with UNCF to raise scholarship money for local students. Last year, the Superintendents’ Commission and UNCF, celebrating its 80th year, partnered and raised more than $200,000, double their goal of $100,000. This year, the group set a goal of $200,000 and again exceeded
the goal.
The achievement underscores the commitment of the Chicago area educational community and UNCF towards fostering the future of young scholars, said Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, CEO of Southland College Prep Charter High School and Superintendent of Matteson School District 162.
“This banquet is a celebration of potential, achievement, and the bright future that lies ahead for these students,” Davis said. “We are thrilled to see how our collective efforts have turned into tangible support for their higher education.”
Davis said that 75 seniors from 14 high schools in suburban Cook County and Kankakee received scholarships last year as a result of the successful joint fundraising effort. Fourteen students from Southland also received awards last year.
One of those recipients was Alaya Cherry, 18, who said the scholarship changed her life. She is currently a freshman at Tougaloo College. “Being honored by receiving that scholarship and being accepted to Tougaloo really motivated me,” said Cherry, who is majoring in economics and hopes to one day own a restaurant. “It really changed something in me. I knew that people believed in me.”
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