The Schuler Quarterly
Volume 2, Issue 1
On the Way to Journalistic
Excellence
by Soledad Mendoza, RLHS Class of '12
I first found out about the Princeton
University Summer Journalism Program
from a search I did online, but it was an
e-mail I received from Rob, the director
of College Counseling, that really
encouraged me to apply. I had to write
a couple essays, send in transcripts,
teacher recommendations, test scores,
and go through an interview, but on
April 15, I fi nally received my
acceptance e-mail to the Princeton
University Summer Journalism Program.
I was surprised but incredibly happy to
be one of 21 students selected to attend
this all-expenses paid program, which
ran from July 29 to August 8.
I met journalists from the Washington
Post, the New York Times, the Daily
Beast, CNN, Politico, and NBC. One of
my counselors, who has now turned
into my second college counselor, is
also the current editor-in-chief of the
New Republic. The majority of our
counselors, however, were past SJP
alums who now write for their college
papers and came back to the program to
help the new students.
Our journalism seminar culminated in
two activities. The first of these, the
investigative report, came about halfway
through our stay. After a morning of
v i s i t i n g t h e N e w Yo r k T i m e s
headquarters, Daily Beast/Newsweek
headquarters, and CNN in New York,
we received our first investigative
journalism assignment: we were to visit
various drug stores around the city and
investigate whether the stores were
following a New York City law that
required them to remove expired items
from the shelves. I didn’t think it would
be a big deal, but after being harassed
and kicked out of the first store we
visited, I changed my mind.
Collectively, in a little over three hours,
we discovered dozens of expired foods
and medications. Three of my fellow
students wrote an article about it and it
was published in an edition of the
Princeton Summer Journal, which was
our final project. Everyone contributed
at least one story to the paper and it was
In this Issue:
Letter from Director…………2
Scholars At TEDxYouth………3
College Counseling…………..4
Waukegan…………………….6
St. Martin de Porres………….7
Round Lake…………………...8
Warren Township…………...10
Highland Park……………….12
Maine East…………………..14
College Connections……….16
AmeriCorps News…………..18
published on the final day of the
seminar. I wrote a feature story about
Princeton reinstating early action and an
editorial about sexual education in high
schools.
The work was hard. We suffered from
what we called “SJP syndrome,” which
pretty much meant severe lack of sleep,
combined with an extraordinary amount
of pizza, bagels, and writing. It was also
the most fun I’ve ever had. I made
friendships that will last a lifetime,
became a stronger writer, and learned to
step out of my comfort zone. If I could,
I’d do it all over again.
Notable People
A Letter from the Director
With the holidays fast approaching I’d
like to take this opportunity to express
our thanks to those who contribute to the
success of the Schuler Scholar Program.
At our partnership high schools (with the
addition of North Chicago High School
we are now at seven schools) we are
fortunate to collaborate with educators
and administrators who work with us to
ensure that students are prepared for and
have access to a college education. The
payoff?The more than 200 Schuler
Scholars who are enrolled in selective
colleges and universities across the
country.
To the colleges and universities that
recognize the obstacles that fi rstgeneration college bound students must
overcome just to submit an application,
we are grateful that you appreciate the
value these dedicated young men and
women bring to your campuses. A
record-breaking 19 schools/programs
participated in the Schuler Summer
College Program event, representatives
from more than 60 colleges and
universities visited the SSP at one of our
high school locations, and almost one
third of the class of 2012 was funded for
fly-out college visit programs.
We are grateful to the many volunteers
who provide ongoing support to the
Schuler staff by giving their time to,
among other things, interview during the
scholar selection process, serve as
liaisons to college scholars, and
coordinate professional development
opportunities for scholars. Volunteers
come from near and far and include the
parents of Scholars, community members
and business leaders. The volunteer base
is growing, and so, too, are the ways in
which individuals and organizations can
get involved.
Finally, we are thankful for the Schuler
Scholars who strive to excel in the
classroom, serve as role models for their
younger siblings, provide countless hours
of community service, and persevere
despite overwhelming obstacles. They
are on the way to becoming the next
g e n e ra t i o n o f t e a ch e r s , d o c t o r s ,
engineers and industry leaders. They
remind us that we cannot ask for or
expect less than “Always Personal Best.”
Thank you, Schuler Scholars, for
inspiring us.
On behalf of the entire team from the
Schuler Scholar Program, I wish you a
happy and healthy holiday season.
Candace A. Browdy
Executive Director
Someone you should know...
partner schools. My job is unique in that
I work with summer program
representatives to ensure that our
scholars have incredible opportunities,
while at the same time I work with our
partner schools to ensure we have the
right students to fill those openings. In
addition to domestic summer programs, I
am also responsible for our International
Programs. Schuler offers a menu of
incredible summer opportunities abroad
to scholars in the top 20% of their
Kim Michelson
Schuler class. I love my job because it is
Summer Programs Manager
exciting to bring an array of enriching,
academic programming to our scholars:
As Summer Programs Manager for the programming that will undoubtedly
Schuler Scholar Program, my role is to enhance their Schuler experience.
bring a menu of academic summer
programs to our scholars across all Before joining Schuler one year ago, I
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was Executive Director of The Joy of the
Game Foundation. The mission of the
organization is to offer scholarships that
allow underprivileged youth to
participate in sports programming. When
I am not working, I enjoy reading,
exercising, spending time with my two
children, and working with the charity
my husband and I co-founded "Project
Music." The mission of "Project Music" is
to raise money each year to send the
children at Lydia Home orphanage in
Chicago to summer camp. I volunteer
with my family at Lydia Home every
month.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles,
California. I attended The University of
Missouri and graduated in 1994 with a
Bachelors of Arts degree in Journalism.
Recent Events
Scholars Attend TEDxYouth
Zimbardo, the world-renowned
psychologist and social scientist.
Emily Stensloff, a senior at Round Lake
High School, said she was “expecting to
get bored sitting in the same room for
hours on end just listening to people
speak, but it wasn't like that at all. I was
always so engaged and involved in all of
what the speakers were saying. I was so
inspired. I would recommend it for
anyone.”
by David Sweeney, Program Manager
On October 15, a group of Schuler
Scholars from four schools attended the
TEDxYouth@Midwest event at the
Oriental Theatre in Chicago. This event,
hosted by Chicago Ideas Week, was
incredibly impactful on the students who
attended. "The TEDxYouth event waas a
mind blowing experience," said Kandyce
McConico, a senior Scholar at Warren
Township High School. "We live in a
society where people follow rote steps to
a prescribed success that involves a
degree, a business suit, and a relatively
easy life lived for one's own self. People
are told that it is good to think outside
the box and to pave your own way, yet it
seems impossible to do so. TEDx made
making a difference tangible. Meeting all
these people who have done great things
and realizing they are just normal people
like myself opened up a whole new
world of possibilities. If these people can
do it there's no reason I can't. The
confidence instilled me with a renewed
determination to make a change with my
life."
This incredible event was eye-opening
and energizing for everyone involved.
The Scholars were deeply touched by the
idea that leaders in business, the arts,
entertainment and engineering would
take time from their schedules to talk to
them about the value of dreams and hard
work. As Round Lake High School senior
Jessica Nguyen put it,“Going to the
TEDxYouth@Midwest event probably
made [for] one of the best Saturdays I've
ever had.”
With 15 speakers, all leaders in their
fields, the event had something for
everyone. The day started with opening
remarks from comedian and NPR host
Brian Babylon. For the morning session,
students were regaled by speakers
ranging from film maker Wes Craven to
Chirinjeev Kathuria, the former owner of
the MIR space station and a visionary in
t h e fi e l d o f
commercial
space travel to
former Supreme
Court Justice
Sandra Day
O’Connor. After
a lunch where
students were
encouraged to
mingle with the
presenters,
the
event continued
with
more
f a n t a s t i c
s p e a k e r s ,
i n c l u d i n g
dinosaur hunter
Paul Sereno and
WTHS Senior Scholar Kandyce McConico talks with Dr. Phillip Zimbardo,
D r. P h i l l i p
one of the keynote speakers at the TEDxYouth event
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College Counseling Corner
Early What?
By Robert Andrews, Director of College one school ED.
Counseling
Decisions Given: mid-December
Early Decision II (ED II)
“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” the Submission Date: typically January 1 or
crowd of Scholars chanted as senior Yesi January 15
Rodriguez, the first Highland Park What to know: ED II is a great option for
Schuler Scholar to apply to college, students who need more time to work on
submitted her application. The scene was their application (but have a clear first
similar at Waukegan, Round Lake and choice) or students who were denied in
Warren as Scholars submitted their Early the ED I round and have a clear second
Decision and Early Action applications choice.
to college the next day. Over 75% of all Decisions Given: February
Scholars apply “early” somewhere:
however, keeping track of the different Early Action (EA)
ways of applying can become confusing, Submission Date: typically December 1
especially since not all colleges use the (varies by school)
same methods. A quick cheat sheet What to know: Unlike Early Decision, an
highlighting the differences follows:
Early Action plan does not obligate a
Early Decision I (ED I)
Submission Date: November 1 (mostly
research universities) or November 15
(mostly small liberal arts colleges)
What to know: Students, parents, and
counselors must sign a contract stating
that, should the student be admitted, he
or she will attend and withdraw all other
applications. Scholars who have a clear
first choice should consider this way of
applying, as students may apply to only
college REA, but may still apply to any
colleges Regular Decision and are not
required to attend if admitted.
Priority Admission: Offered by a small
group of colleges, priority programs are
set internally by the college and have
rules similar to EA, but do not follow the
typical EA timeline. Some colleges invite
select applicants to apply this way; others
have an advertised priority process.
Because so many Scholars submit their
applications under an early plan, they
will learn about at least one decision
before the holiday season. The Schuler
Scholar Program is proud to announce
that, as of December 12, Scholars from
the Class of 2012 have been admitted to:
student to attend a school. Students are
also allowed to apply to as many
colleges EA as they want. Most schools
have either an Early Action or Early
Decision option (a few colleges offer
both methods of applying).
Decisions Given: mid-December
Bucknell University (2)
Dartmouth College (2)
Lawrence University (2)
Macalester College (1)
Occidental College (2)
Stanford University (1)
Swarthmore College (2)
Restrictive Early Action (REA): Only five Wellesley College (1)
schools offer REA application: Boston
College, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford Be sure to check out our website over the
and Yale. Students may only apply to one coming months for more updates!
The College of the Holy Cross - Worcester, MA
The College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution, has been consistently ranked as
one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation - in fact, the campus is a
registered arboretum. With a unique living and learning program called
Montserrat, freshmen at Holy Cross are guaranteed small classes and incredible
access to professors. This fosters an incredible sense of community that includes
strong athletic teams and school spirit. Famous alumni of Holy Cross include
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Round Lake School Director Terry
Broccolo. Holy Cross will be a part of the New England Spring Break trip, so
Scholars will be able to get a glimpse of this dynamic campus in March.
Find out more at www. holycross.edu.
4
5
College Counseling Corner
University of Rochester - Rochester, NY
A mid-sized research university in Upstate New York, University of Rochester has one
of the most unique undergraduate curricular programs in the country. Students choose
to focus in three distinct subjects in depth and add “clusters” of related coursework to
round out their experience. Rochester attracts serious, balanced and quite mainstream
students who have the ability to balance academics with social life. It also offers the
Take Five Scholars Program, where students may stay on for an extra year to receive a
Masters degree.
Two unique features at the University of Rochester include the Institute on Optics - the
first of such institute in the country - and the Eastman Conservatory, an internationally
renowned music school, proving that a university can be known for both science and
music!
Find out more at www.rochester.edu.
Claremont McKenna College - Claremont, CA
As one of the five “Claremont Colleges” in California, Claremont McKenna has its own
distinct character with the added bonus of having cross-registration at the other
schools. While its academics are focused on government, economics, management,
international relations and public policy, students may study most of the different
disciplines in the liberal arts at CMC. Developing leadership in students is also a
strong concentration for the college, illustrated by the Kravis Leadership Institute.
Find out more at www.cmc.edu.
Smith College - Northampton, MA
Smith is the largest women’s college in the nation and one of the most prestigious.
Founded to provide a liberal arts education for women preparing to enter “traditionally
male” fields, Smith boasts one of the most innovative engineering programs in the
country (and is one of the first liberal arts college to offer such a major - perhaps the
only woman’s college to do so). In addition, Smith College consistently ranks as one of
the colleges with the greatest percentage of students receiving Pell Grants (a
government grant for the most financially neediest students), making Smith one of the
most socio-economically diverse college campuses in the nation.
Smith students are also able to take classes at neighboring Hampshire, Mount Holyoke
and Amherst Colleges, as well as the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Find out more at www.smith.edu.
5
Waukegan High School
Waukegan Scholars Experience Camp
by Oscar Arias, WHS Class of '14
going on scavenger hunts, and reinforced On trail it was clear that the lessons
in their sense of responsibility while setting Scholars had learned in camp paid off When WHS Schuler Scholars spent two up dinner at the mess hall.
one of the groups chose to challenge
weeks at Camp Manito-wish this
themselves with a longer, more
summer, they certainly learned how to Scholars were assigned to groups of five or interesting canoe route instead of taking
complete ordinary camp tasks like how six and departed Camp Manito-wish on a shorter route directly to their campsite.
to start a fire. However, they also canoes for four days. “New feelings and Experiences like this motivated Scholars
learned lessons that would help them in emotions hit me while on trail," said Kiara to go above and beyond to do more
their everyday life. Camp Manito-wish Quinonez, a Scholar at WHS. "It’s than they had to, rather than taking the
was unique in this way - Scholars unbelievable how that trip made me feel easy way out.
received both wilderness survival closer to nature. The experience taught me
tips and guidance on overcoming valuable skills that put my mind and body Not only the were the lessons valuable,
obstacles they face when working to the test.” Topilitzin Gomez, another but the memories made in camp were
Scholar, added, “We lost the rushing world equally priceless. Most Scholars still talk
with teams.
outside and truly understood that we are about how they came to know and
These life lessons were taught to the not much different from others: we shine become close with many of their fellow
Scholars through a series of camp in our own light.”
Scholars at Manito-wish. Camp was an
activities: Scholars were challenged to
i n c r e d i b l e e x p e r i e n c e f o r m a ny
be courageous and to take risks while While on their odyssey, Scholars built Waukegan Scholars - the memories
completing a high ropes course, campfires, cooked their own food, and made there will last a lifetime.
encouraged to rely on teamwork while explored various areas in the wilderness.
Adventures in India
By Michelle Johnson, WHS Class of '12
have. Walking in, the kids lined up for
morning attendance but they were
quickly distracted by their new visitors.
Though the Taj Mahal was awe-inspiring
and learning how to play cricket was
fun, my favorite part of the three weeks I
spent in India this summer with Global
Leadership Adventures was teaching in
the Kareri School. The school, located in
a small Himalayan farming village, had
students in kindergarten through eighth
grade.
There were no finished roads leading to
the village, so we had to hike for seven
hours to get there. Despite pouring rain
and leeches, the hike was amazing:
climbing up the seemingly endless
natural rock stairs and finally reaching
our campsite was one of my greatest
accomplishments in India. Every time
we took a break, it was hard for us to get
back up and keep going, but the hike
Michelle with her students at the Kareri School
gave us seven hours to talk and get to
know each other.
We went to the Kareri School the next
morning. We were told that the school had
one computer we could teach the kids to
use and that they would all be excited to
see us, but that didn’t even come close to
preparing us for the experience we would
I chose to work with the youngest kids,
who were between five and seven. The
language barrier made it difficult to
teach lessons, but the kids were excited
even to color. At times, the language
barrier frustrated me, but as I spent the
rest of my first week at the school, I
learned to work around it. I learned the
importance of smiling, as well as just
how much communication can be done
without using actual words. I taught the
kids some English, colors and numbers,
and even gave an art lesson to some of
the older kids. Most importantly, I left
knowing that we helped make these kids
- many of whom walk hours to get to
school - excited to learn.
Waukegan High School/St. Martin de Porres High School Staff
6
Beth Kainic, School Director: [email protected]
Ross Noecker, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Ashwin Inchavelithara, Educational Counselor: [email protected] Minnie Nguyen, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Juli Scalf, College Counselor: [email protected]
Danielle Santos, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Rachel McInnis, Scholar Coach, [email protected]
Nicholas Ulrich, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Alicia Johnston, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Waukegan High School
Earlham's Explore-A-College "Opened My Eyes"
By Jessi Aguilar, WHS Class of '13
more delicious than I had anticipated.
This past summer I spent two weeks at
Earlham’s Explore-A-College program in
Richmond, IN. When I arrived, I was
unsure of what to expect, but one thing
was certain - I was not enthusiastic
about attending. This was mostly due to
my first impressions on the trip: the
plane was so small that I could not stand
up without hitting my head, and the
airport was lifeless. We had to drive
thirty minutes to get to campus, and all I
saw were cornfields everywhere. I
figured Earlham would be just as lifeless:
however, I soon changed my opinion.
For my course, I had chosen the Study of
Human Behavior. It was the most rigorous
course in the program - on the first day of
class, the professor assigned 60 pages to
be read by the next class - but after a few
days, I became accustomed to the work
load. I loved learning about the famous
studies conducted and observations done
in the field of psychology. Something else I
enjoyed was that we did not have a fixed
schedule, which gave me the freedom to
do whatever I wanted. The program made
me feel as though I was really attending
college.
Upon arriving, I was surprised to find a
beautiful campus. The dorms and
buildings were very modern, and the
dorm I stayed in had been recently
r e m o d e l e d . Th e f o o d e s p e c i a l l y
challenged my first impressions: it was
What made my experience unique was the
diverse groups of people in the program.
The students there came from all different
t y p e s o f h i g h s c h o o l s , fi n a n c i a l
backgrounds, states, and even countries. I
was surprised to find I contributed to the
diversity: when I talked about my high
school, some people were shocked to
hear that I have to go through metal
detectors every morning! Despite these
differences, we could all gather in the
common area and watch George Lopez
together.
Participating in Earlham’s Explore-ACollege program opened my eyes to
what I can expect when I go to college.
This showed me that good things can
exist in the places I least expect, like in
the middle of cornfields.
St. Martin de Porres High School
Scholars Enjoy an
Evening of Ettiquette
SMdP Scholars and Schuler staff enjoy an evening
at Froggy's
by Xiomara Tenorio, SMdP Class of '14
potatoes, and a dessert. In each course,
Scholars learned the most appropriate
On November 10, St. Martin de Porres way to cut, eat, share, and finish their
and Highland Park Scholars had the food.
opportunity to attend an etiquette
dinner. As soon as Scholars sat at their Not only did the Scholars enjoy the
tables, they were greeted by an elegant experience of eating in a fancy
place setting of three forks, two plates, restaurant, they were also impressed by
one spoon, a glass of water, and a the food. "When I took the first bite, it
n a p k i n . S c h o l a r s l e a r n e d t h a t was pure bliss to my taste buds," said
silverware is set from the outside in, SMdP sophomore Scholar Jessica
and that the order of service at a table Zuluaga of her dessert. Many Scholars
moves from oldest to youngest.
enjoyed experiencing foods that were
different from what they eat on a regular
When the bread arrived at the table, basis. Overall, the evening was a great
Scholars were instructed as to the most experience: "If I could relive another
polite way to serve, butter, and eat experience like this one," said Zuluaga,
their bread. They were similarly guided "I would be the luckiest person."
through two appetizers - a squash
soup and a crab cake - chicken with
7
Round Lake High School
Scholars Lend a Hand at South Side Food Pantry
Round Lake High School Schuler
Scholars kicked off the year’s Social
Awareness and Action initiative with a
trip to the St. Columbanus Parish Food
Pa n t r y i n C h i c a g o ’s Pa r k M a n o r
neighborhood. Nineteen RLHS Scholars
and three Scholar Coaches pitched in to
help prepare dry goods bags for the 500
families St. Columbanus currently serves
each week. Scholars unpacked pallets of
food, set up assembly lines, and shuttled
bags to the drop-off station; their energy
and strong muscles combined, Scholars
packed 409 bags.
importance of giving back to one's
community that really inspired the
Scholars. This message reinforced
Schuler’s SAA mission to construct and
inspire well-informed, responsible, and
active citizens through service-based
learning within their local, national and
global communities.
Many Scholars expressed interest in
returning to St. Columbanus because of
the direct impact they felt they made on
the community. Their fellow Scholars will
continue these initial efforts, as each
Schuler school will volunteer one
LaVerne Morris, the food pantry director, Saturday at St. Columbanus over the
shared a motivating message about the course of the school year as part of a new
partnership formed between the two
organizations.
Following a morning of volunteering at
the food pantry, Scholars tasted new
cuisine at landmark Hyde Park restaurant
Thai 55. Using chopsticks and eating
dishes like pad thai and yellow curry –
most for the first time – proved quite
entertaining! Scholars spent the afternoon
perusing the Smart Museum of Art on the
University of Chicago campus, taking in
exhibits on Asian art, Soviet Union
propaganda posters, and modern
painting. It was a day helping feed a
Chicago community that also fed the
Scholars’ bodies and minds.
Scholar Coach Leads Exposure to Alma Mater
For the second year, Scholar Coach Maija
Wigoda-Mikkala took RLHS Scholars to
the Northwestern University Infant
Cognition Lab. Scholars observed studies
in progress that determine what infants
know about the world around them.
Following a tour of the lab, Scholars ate
lunch with Sue Hespos, associate
professor of psychology at Northwestern,
and discussed their academic interests
and post-high school plans with her.
biochemistry - and it was almost like a
confirmation in its practicality and my
interests...overall, the day was fun,
interesting and enriching."
was a prime example of how Scholar
Coaches are fostering new knowledge
and inspiring Scholars by sharing their
own interests and networks.
Maija had worked at the lab for three
years as an undergraduate at NU, and
hopes to share her interest and
experience in developmental psychology
with Scholars. "I really enjoyed learning
about the research Sue and her team
perform," said senior Scholar Fatema
Jivanjee. "I think it's something I'd really
enjoy in college, and I can't wait to start
researching. Based on what we saw, I
think I'm going to like psychological and
sociological research equally, so I'm
hoping to try out both."
Ju n i o r S ch o l a r K a m i l a L a d a wa s
particularly impressed. "I never really
thought about how much goes into any
actual published experiment," she said.
"The trip to Northwestern University was
beneficial in an unexpected way: in
having lunch with the director, I now
have a better grasp on what I want to Afterwards, the groups stopped at the
major in - biology, chemistry, or Baha’i Temple in Wilmette. This exposure
Scholars gather in front of the Baha'i Temple
Round Lake High School Staff
Terry Broccolo, School Director: [email protected]
Jenise Holloway, College Counselor [email protected]
Eli Rollman, Educational Counselor: [email protected]
8
Scott Koenning, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Kerry Pearson, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Claire Reeder, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Maija Wigoda-Mikkila, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Round Lake High School
Recent Exposures
NCAA Division III Volleyball Match
“On the college teams, the players came
out expecting to trust each other and
with willpower to win. It reminds me of
when you face a conflict and you don’t
succeed, then you come out with the
power and confidence next time, and I
saw that in the team. I also saw these
strong players that attend good colleges,
are competing for the conference
tournament, and I want to become like
that. It was fun!” – Daisy Ruiz-Gil ‘13
SC Claire Reeder accompanied six
Scholars to the Lawrence University-Lake
Forest College volleyball match at LFC to
share her experience as a volleyball
player at Grinnell College with RLHS
volleyball players. The exposure opened
up personal development discussions
about leadership, being a team player,
the difference between DI – what we
typically think of as college athletics –
and the many opportunities available for
DIII athletics, and finally how to balance
being a Scholar and being an athlete, as
many of our Scholars are. The game,
followed by another Thai food lunch,
introduced new ideas about what’s
possible and what they’d like to pursue
through HS and college.
Etiquette Dinner
“If I went to eat dinner at a fancy
restaurant before this, I would have
grabbed any random fork! I was nervous
at first, but then I calmed down and
become more comfortable. It was really
fun and different from anything I’ve done
before, I learned a lot!” – Armando
Moreno ‘15
The Etiquette Dinner, held this year at
Froggy’s in Highwood, is a signature
Exposure for all Schuler freshmen.
Designed to introduce students to formal
dining and etiquette, many are quite
nervous on first glimpse of the white
tablecloths and sparkling silverware!
However, the dinner prepares students
early in their high school careers to be
more comfortable making conversation
and following the host, as they anticipate
dinners with admissions counselors or
professors as juniors or seniors, or even
just a fancy night out!
Spotlight on...Jenise Holloway
Jenise Holloway, College Counselor at Round Lake High School, offers unique perspectives
to the Schuler Scholar Program. Jenise’s experience, both personal and professional, in
highly selective colleges and the international field makes her a valuable component of the
organization.
Jenise attended Williams College, and later worked there as an Admissions Officer. As a
Williams alumna, Jenise can relate to Scholars in a unique way, offering a student’s
perspective of the rural liberal arts experience. Her past work in Admissions also provides
Jenise with the knowledge of what type of student highly selective colleges are looking for.
She is then able to address these attributes in her letters of recommendation, helping
Scholars stand out in the crowd.
Similarly valuable is Jenise’s international experience. Through her experience with
Diversity and Inclusion at the Institute of International Education of Students, she is able to help Scholars “select programs that
will be most beneficial to them, will maximize their abroad experience, and let them get what they want out of it.” Jenise also
draws upon her personal experience of living in Japan for two years and Peru for a year and a half: she knows what it is like to
be an American of color in different cultural context and is able to match Scholars to the programs that provide the best support
for the adjustments that they will have to make. Jenise has helped send RLHS Scholars to Thailand, Poland, Spain, Argentina,
and China; these Scholars have returned invigorated by their experiences.
Combining her areas of expertise, Jenise spoke at an orientation for first-generation freshmen at her alma mater this past fall.
She discussed the importance of setting goals and utilizing resources, the need for exploration, and the challenges of
transitioning to Williams from communities that are very different. These topics were also integrated into Schuler’s Transition to
College after school programming last year. Jenise will continue to impact communities, whether near or far, and we are lucky
to have her!
9
Warren Township High School
Scholars Helping Scholars
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
afternoons, the Schuler room at Warren’s
O’Plaine campus is filled with textbooks,
homework and tutors. None of this is
unusual for a Schuler room, with the
exception of who is doing the tutoring:
junior and senior Scholars sit with
freshmen and sophomores, tutoring in
math, science, social studies and English.
Kandyce McConico, another senior,
values the relationships built by tutoring:
"I think the tutoring relationship between
the older and younger Scholars is
p a r t i c u l a r l y s p e c i a l b e c a u s e i t ’s
completely voluntary. No one pushes us.
The younger students want to be helped
by us and we are eager to share all that
our hard work has taught us about
making it with such a rigorous class
Upperclassmen are a phenomenal load."
resource for younger Scholars: they have
taken many of the same classes, and they Ultimately, upperclassman Scholars not
understand the expectations of the only have the opportunity to give back to
Schuler program. Because of Warren's their younger peers, but are also able to
split campus, tutoring is one of the few set an example of what it means to be a
times Scholars from different campuses Schuler Scholar. Senior Alpha Chau sums
get to interact. "It's fun to get that other it up: "I believe that through tutoring, my
perspective on life, and to retouch on fellow Scholars and I are contributing to
past ideas and motives that I once had," our underclassmen's appreciation of
says senior Zamir Mendez. "I enjoy what the Schuler Community is: a society
hearing what they have to say and being of mutuality. We hope to help each other
able to be a role-model to them - or just realize that we are truly out there for
a friend."
e a ch o t h e r, t o f o s t e r u n b e n d i n g
friendships and to propel our individual
The underclassman Scholars aren't the momentum for achievement."
only ones who benefit. "I like tutoring
because it gives me a chance to have a
better understanding of the materials that
I'm teaching them," says Robyn Meister,
a Senior Scholar. "I genuinely like the
subjects we go over. When I tutor the
lower underclassmen, I feel like I'm
really helping someone." Senior
Mathurshan Vimalesvaran agrees. "I don't
always remember what I learned
verbatim. It helps to be put on the spot
and challenge myself."
Warren Township High School Staff
10
Janell Cleland, School Director: [email protected]
Cassandra Geiger, College Counselor: [email protected]
Thi Ly, Educational Counselor: [email protected]
Devin Daugherty, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Madeline Gray, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Xuan Li, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
College
Reading
Some members of WTHS Class of '11
wrote us from college to share what's on
their current reading lists!
Jacky Long, Brandeis University
Favorite class: "Putting Away Childish
Things: Coming of Age in Modern
Japanese Literature and Film". I call it my
Japanese film and lit class.
What I'm reading: We've already gone
through four books for the class I
mentioned. My favorite was probably
Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Oe
Kenzaburo.
Paige Rendall, University of Richmond
Favorite class: My psychology class
about memory.
What I'm reading: "Ondine" (which is
the first version of The Little Mermaid)
Jiatao Cheng, Carleton College
Favorite class: Chemistry 122
What I'm reading: None at the moment,
but I did have to read Harold and the
Purple Crayon for class.
Camaron Barta, University of Denver
Favorite class: My psychology 1001 class
- I didn't take psychology in high school.
It really interests me and it's enjoyable to
learn.
What I'm reading: "No Small Matter:
Science On The Nanoscale," for my
Freshman seminar class.
Janel Booker, Occidental College
Favorite class: Sociology.
What I'm reading: I don't really have
time to read on my own, but a book I’m
reading for my Sports in Film class is
by John Wooden. It’s very inspirational.
Warren Township High School
WTHS SAA Serves and Plays
WTHS Schuler Scholars’
first Social Awareness and
Action project of the
school year was a
resounding success.
T w e n t y - fi v e W T H S
Scholars volunteered to
provide childcare for
Woodland Elementary
School’s first graders while
the first grade parents
Scholars read with first graders at Woodland
attended Curriculum
Night. The delighted screams of sixyear-olds filled the air as Scholars led Woodland Intermediate School’s
games of “tag” and “red light, green holiday food drive. WTHS’ Schuler
light” on the playground, played Scholar Program plans to continue this
basketball, supervised rope swings in the partnership with the Woodland schools
gym, and shared their favorite children’s in the future. Said WTHS freshman
Scholar Aubrey Estrada, “I think it was a
books.
good experience for us to give back to
Organized by Scholar Coach Madeline our own community.”
Gray as part of Schuler’s Social
Awareness and Action program, it was
the WTHS Scholars’ second time
volunteering for the Woodland Schools
of Gurnee. Last winter, WTHS Scholars
helped distribute canned goods for
Lunch and Learns Inform, Inspire
College Reading, cont.
Katie Suhling, Marquette University
Favorite class: "Dimensions of
Professional Nursing," because I get to
learn all about my future major, nursing.
What I’m reading: I am currently
rereading my favorite book, Looking for
Alaska by John Green, which was
recommended to me by a Schuler scholar
coach.
Wendy Xu, Swarthmore College
Favorite class: Intro to Computer Science
What I’m reading: The Road by Cormac
McCarthy
Shaurya Bhadula, Bowdoin College
Favorite class: Orphans of Asia, a literary
discussion class on the effects of political
and socioeconomic strife in Asia.
What I’m reading: Never Let Me Go by
Kazuo Ishiguro
Ashton Hoselton, Pitzer College
Favorite Class: Environmental Toxicology.
What I’m reading: I am reading
textbooks!
On select Wednesdays, Warren’s
O’Plaine Scholars welcome special
guests to take part in an ongoing
program called Lunch and Learns.
Adopted from Schuler’s leadership team,
Lunch and Learns provide a unique
opportunity for Warren Scholars to learn
about people outside of their regular
groups.
program, and group of German exchange
s t u d e n t s , i nv i t e d by E d u c a t i o n a l
Counselor Thi Ly. Scholars were
f a s c i n a t e d by t h e m a ny c u l t u ra l
differences they discovered between their
lives and those of the exchange
students' (including how much more
expensive a German driver’s license is
compared those in the United States).
Most recently, WTHS Social Worker
At the first meeting, College Counselor Samantha Garrity gave a talk about stress
Cassandra Geiger shared her passion for management and using resources to help
podcasts with Scholars, explaining how with the stressors of high school.
they work and what about podcasts
sparked her interest. Playing pieces of a Lunch and Learns have been a valuable
podcast for Scholars, she explained who addition to the Schuler culture at Warren.
was talking and fit it into the bigger Students gain insights into a variety of
picture of the podcast. Other guests have different people and get to have exciting
included Schuler Scholar Program and informative conversations. Lunch
founder Jack Schuler, who shared with and Learns will continue through the rest
the Scholars how his philosophy and life of the year.
journey led to the creation of the
11
Highland Park High School
Scholars Explore Chicago
Each year the HPHS Schuler Scholars
attend many cultural and civic
exposures in and around the city of
Chicago. This year is no exception Scholars have already been immersed
in several new experiences.
In early September, Scholars visited
the Body Worlds exhibit at the
Museum of Science and Industry. The
exhibit was centered on human
anatomy: Scholars had a chance to
view human bodies that had been
Scholars and Scholar Coaches enjoying the Polish
Museum of America
preserved by a technique called
Plastination, which allowed for a view of
the inner anatomical structures. Many of culture. In October, Scholars were
the Scholars were fascinated by the introduced to live improv comedy at
exhibit.
Comedy Sports in Chicago. The students,
most of whom had never seen
More recently, a group of junior and improvisational theater so close, enjoyed
senior Scholars explored the Polish the humor and atmosphere of the show.
Museum of America. The Museum, After the performance, the group dined at
located in Chicago's Noble Square, holds the Standard Indian Restaurant, which for
an unparalleled collection of Polish most Scholars was their first introduction
artifacts, including exhibits and works of to Indian food.
art that had been acquired from the
Polish Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair in Upcoming exposures include a trip to the
New York.
After a tour from the Field Museum, a performance of the
museum’s curator, the students enjoyed a musical Memphis, a visit to the German
traditional meal at Podhalanka, a Polish ChristKindlmarket, and ice skating at
restaurant that has been in Chicago for Millennium Park. If you are interested in
35 years.
joining us for any of our exposures,
please stop by the Schuler Resource
Cultural exposures aren't only about Room, A236, and let us know.
academic issues - on occasion, Scholars
get to experience the lighter side of
Julie Levine,
School Director
Rob Andrews,
Director of College
Counseling
Stephanie
Oettinger,
Educational
Counselor
Alicia Cook,
Scholar Coach
Scott Koenning,
Scholar Coach
Alyssa McNamara,
Math Scholar
Coach
Elizabeth Paredes,
Scholar Coach
12
Highland Park High School
Meet the Staff!
Nothing Scary
About College for
Senior Scholars
We are now in our third year at HPHS, and I am very excited that we now have Scholars
in all four years of high school as well as 7 staff members, including our own college
counselor. The Schuler Scholar Program provides a wonderful opportunity for me to
continue my love for working with adolescents while in an educational setting. In my
spare time I enjoy running, reading and being with my family.
Halloween brought more than tricks and
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
treats to Highland Park High School this
For the last three years, I have been advising Schuler Scholars with their college search
year, especially for the seniors. Rather
at Waukegan High School; this year, I am HPHS at least three days a week. Not only do than rushing home to don costumes and
I work with Highland Park Scholars with their college search, I also develop and manage participate in the night’s festivities, Senior
the entire college counseling program at SSP. Besides being a complete college geek, I
Scholars found themselves in the Schuler
also love geography, traveling to all sorts of places, birds, painting, reading and my dog Resource Room, working excitedly to put
Shuli.
the finishing touches on their Early
Contact: [email protected]
Decision or Early Action applications.
The seniors had begun work on their
I am thrilled to be back at HPHS for a second year as educational counselor, working
college essays during the August Boot
primarily with freshmen and sophomore Scholars. Working at Schuler has provided me
Camp, and have been meeting every
the opportunity to get to know all of our impressive Scholars, and has truly been a
Wednesday before school to complete
highlight of my career! I now live in neighboring Deerfield with my husband and two
their applications for the November 1
children. In my very limited free time, I enjoy running, reading, cooking, traveling and
deadline. The event was particularly
spending time with my family.
momentous as this group is the first class
Contact: [email protected]
of Senior Scholars at HPHS.
I am a first-year Schuler Scholar Coach at HPHS and I'm thrilled to be part of the Schuler
Family. I'm originally from a small town near Albany in upstate New York, and I attended On the afternoon of October 31, Scholars
from all grades gathered in the Resource
Williams College. I've loved getting to know all our Scholars through reading tutoring,
Room to celebrate both the seniors’ hard
after-school programming and working in the Schuler resource room, and feel lucky to
work and Halloween. As seniors
be a part of an organization that cares so deeply about its Scholars and provides them
nervously clicked the ‘submit’ button,
with phenomenal opportunities. In my free time, I love to dance, run, read and travel.
Scholars and staff enjoyed themed
Contact: [email protected]
refreshments while listening to holiday
I'm a second-year Scholar Coach at HPHS and RLHS. I served exclusively at RLHS my
favorites such as “Monster Mash” and
first year, and am excited to be at two schools this year. I tutor sophomores, juniors, and
“Thriller.” The younger Scholars were
seniors, focusing on writing. I am also Website Coordinator and Outreach Coordinator. I
extremely supportive and encouraging as
relish the challenges of the Scholar Coach role and cherish the support provided to me
the seniors took this first step in their
by the Schuler team. A 2010 graduate from Grinnell College, my favorite entities include
journey to college. Each new submission
American football, Argentina, chilaquiles verdes, Cleveland sports, Johnny Cash, Mac
was greeted with cheers, and sometimes
Miller, and speaking Spanish. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our Scholars!
tears, as the stress of this initial deadline
Contact: [email protected]
was finally lifted.
I am a first-year Math Scholar Coach at HPHS. I graduated from Kalamazoo College last
spring with a degree in Chemistry. Serving as a Scholar Coach has been incredible so Overall, the afternoon was a wonderful
far: my responsibilities include tutoring Scholars in math and science, implementing opportunity for all of the Scholars to
Schuler-wide math programming, and aiding in the Summer College Program interact with one another and to
application process. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, playing piano, exercising, and celebrate the accomplishments of their
trying to learn Spanish. I have already learned so much from our Scholars, and am peers. The sense of community that has
impressed by their talent and motivation. I look forward to the rest of the year!
developed between all of the HPHS
Contact: [email protected]
Scholars was clearly evident.
It was
touching to be a part of an event that so
I am a first-year Scholar Coach at HPHS. I grew up in Chicago’s Logan Square
community, and graduated from DePaul University. I am very excited to be working as a truly represented the culmination of all of
tutor once more with HPHS's Schuler Scholars. A first generation college student myself, the growth and hard work that we have
seen over the last few months. We wish
I am truly honored to play a small part in making a college education more accessible
our seniors the best of luck as they move
for very bright yet under-resourced students. I look forward to learning much from our
forward in the application process!
Scholars, my Schuler colleagues, and the great staff at Highland Park High School
throughout my term of service and beyond.
Contact: [email protected]
13
Maine East High School
Exposure Explores Indian Culture
shared a variety of dishes familystyle, including aloo gobi, chicken
tikka masala, saffron rice, naan,
and samosas.
The Scholars then
viewed a dance performance by
the Natya Dance Theatre, an Indian
dance company, at the Harris
Theater near Millennium Park.
Scholars show off their Indian garb
On Saturday, October 8, sophomore
Schuler Scholars from Maine East High
School embarked on a multi-faceted
exploration of Indian culture.
The
evening began at India House restaurant
in downtown Chicago, where Scholars
were new and intriguing. For others,
this evening was a way for them to
celebrate and share their Indian culture
with fellow Scholars.
The performance was a fusion of
storytelling and dance based on an
Indian folktale, “The Flowering
Tree,” and the themes of the tale
encouraged humans to be
respectful of nature and one another. Six
S ch o l a r s ch o s e t o h e i g h t e n t h e i r
engagement with Indian culture by
wearing colorful Indian clothing to the
dinner and dance performance. For many
Scholars, this was an evening full of
“firsts,” and the flavors, sights, and sounds
Steppenwolf's "Heart" Thought-Provoking
By Alyanna Villapando, MEHS Class of activist, and the owner of a diner looking
'15
to find relief from their problems by talking
with John Singer, a deaf man. Sadly, he
In October, Freshmen Schuler Scholars can't truly "hear" them, and they don't
from Maine East High School went to know how to "listen" to him.
see The Heart is a Lonely Hunter at
Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. I I found this very ironic, yet not wholly
personally had the privilege of seeing the uncommon in our own lives. There is often
performance, and it was the first play I miscommunication between people in
have ever viewed.
schools, relationships, and perhaps even in
politics. I also had to think a little about
The play showcased many themes, one how the stage and all of the props
of which was the way people share their illustrated the deeper meaning of the story.
feelings and deal with hardships. It For instance, props suspended from the
revolved around a girl who wants to be a ceiling gave an air of unattainable goals
concert pianist, a doctor, a political that resonated throughout the story.
Overall, I was left to ponder about
whether or not I make the most of
interactions with others, and whether
I'm listening or being listened to.
Maine East High School Staff
14
Joanne Bertsch, School Director: [email protected]
Dave Sweeney, Program Manager: [email protected]
Ben Burtzos, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Karly Fogelsonger, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Megan Melloy, Scholar Coach: [email protected]
Maine East High School
Inspired by Women in Engineering
by Susana Ortiz, MEHS Class of '14
This summer I attended the Women in
Engineering summer camp for a week at
the University of Dayton. At first it was
scary because I didn't know anyone.
However, the moment I met my
roommate and my assigned group I
relaxed because everyone was very
friendly. The day I got there I arrived at
the university at four o’clock and we had
a welcome banquet to get to know each
other. Throughout the week, we had
engineering classes that were more like
hands-on labs than lectures. We had labs
in chemistry and innovation, as well as
civil, technological, electrical, and
mechanical engineering. After the last
lab each day we had time to swim, go
bowling, play on the pool tables,
exercise, or just rest.
During the camp there were two major
activities outside of the classroom. The
first one was having dinner with an
engineer. All of the engineers were
women from different fields, and during
this event we had the opportunity to ask
them anything that we wanted to. This was
a good opportunity to learn more about
how they became engineers. The second
major event was when everyone at camp
went to visit a different type of engineering
company. Two girls and I went with a civil
engineer to see the various jobs that are
done in that field. There are jobs that are
done outside using heavy machinery, like
the ones the construction workers do, and
then there are others that are done in at
office using a computer, like the ones that
the designer does.
There are many
different jobs and they are all equally
important to getting the overall job done.
Personally, this was a great experience and
it was thanks to the Schuler Scholar
Program. The work they did was like the
work that is done in a civil engineering
company because everyone from my
Scholar Coaches to my School Director to
the Summer Programs Manager worked
together to make this experience possible
for me.
MEHS Scholars experience culture through a variety of experiences. (Left) Scholars visit the Mark Bradford exhibit at the
Museum of Contemporary Art. (Right) Scholars enjoy a meal at Heaven on Seven before seeing Memphis at the Cadillac
Palace Theatre.
15
College connections
Alumni Updates
Class of 2005
Erin Reeves (WHS) graduated from the Milwaukee School of
Engineering in 2009 and completed her Master's at RoseHulman Institute of Technology this past May. She was awarded
the 2010-2011 Outstanding Thesis Award for her Master's thesis
entitled "Photonic Asynchronous Delta-Sigma Modulation." She
presented at the OSA's 2011 Frontiers in Optics Conference in
San Jose, CA (Oct. 16-20). The presentation was entitled
"Optical A/D using Oversampling by Second-Order DSM," and
was based upon her thesis work.
Class of 2006
Andrea Bland (WHS) graduated
from Vanderbilt University in 2010
and is a part of the Loyola
University Chicago School of Law
Class of 2013. In her second year
in the program, she is focusing on
criminal litigation. She captains
the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial
team and will compete at the
Columbus, OH regionals in
February. She volunteers with the Cabrini Green Legal Aid
Helpdesk, working with clients filing forms to expunge their
criminal records, and wrote a publishable document for First
Defense Legal Aid regarding children's rights on school
grounds. This summer, Andrea studied international law in
Beijing, China as part of the Loyola Abroad program.
Class of 2009
Tom Birren (RLHS), Carleton College
class of 2013, spent his summer as a
field assistant for a Princeton PhD
student doing sedimentology research
in Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. This
winter break he plans on working for
the field assistant's advisor at his lab
in Princeton.
Gaby Castallanos (WHS), Brandeis University class of 2013,
interned this summer as an events coordinator at El Hogar de
Amor y Esperanza, an orphanage in Honduras. She successfully
planned and coordinated donations for the orphanage's annual
fundraiser, which raised close to $10,000. She also translated
workshops that Ohio teachers gave to teachers in Honduras.
This semester, she is an intake intern at the Massachusetts
Commission Against Discrimination, providing probable
16 cause consultations for people who believe they have been
discriminated against. She is deciding whether she wants to
attend law or business school.
Kara Maplethorpe (RLHS), Northland College class of 2013,
volunteered this fall for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in
Ashland, WI. She conducted waterfowl surveys for the
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, recording the
amount of ducks, swans, and/or geese at seven different sites.
She also lead canoe trips for Camp Manito-wish this summer,
and facilitated for the Schuler Scholars and other programs. "I
love giving back to the program since Schuler introduced me
to Camp," she said. She anticipates leading Manito-wish trips
next summer.
Marybel Parra (WHS), Bradley University class of 2013,
interned at Waukegan Adult Probation this past summer, and
has been working as a Spanish translator for a lawyer in Peoria
since 2009. On campus, she is Vice President of the
Association of Latin American Students, which has brought
well-known slam poets such as Mayda Del Valle to campus,
and a member of the Multi-Cultural Council, where the
executive board members of groups collaborate and handle
discrimination issues on campus. She and six other Bradley
students have also formed an Occupy Movement in Peoria.
She is beginning the process of looking for law schools and
will be graduating a semester early (December 2012).
Irving Reyes (SMdP), Ripon College class of 2013, has been
the coordinator of HOLA (Hispanic Outreach and Learning
Assistance), a program that offers academic tutoring services to
community members, for two years. He is also the president of
rrRumba, a Latin ballroom dance group that performs events
on and off campus, and has fundraisers each semester that
benefit area charities. He is also part of the Pre-Med Society,
which provides volunteers to the local hospital and shadow
experiences with doctors. Irving is also involved in the GLBT
group, Black Student Union, the Cultural Diversity Club, and
Hablamos, a Spanish-speaking organization that promotes the
practice of Spanish for majors and non-majors.
Cynthia Perez (WHS), Stanford University class of 2013, colead a trip to Ecuador this summer as part of a student-run
group on campus called Volunteers in Latin America. She
traveled Ecuador for ten weeks, interacting with the street and
working children of Quito. As a co-leader, she was responsible
for setting up flight itineraries and immunizations, organizing
the budget for the summer, initiating contact with the
organization the volunteers were working with, and finding
accommodations for the volunteers. Cynthia was recently
accepted into the Stanford Bing Overseas Program in Paris next
quarter. "I am tremendously excited to finally visit France after
all of my years of practicing French," she says.
College connections
Class of 2010
Heidi Meuth (WHS), DePauw University, Class of 2014, had the
honor of playing with Yo-Yo Ma when he came to visit campus he and members of the Chicago Civic Orchestra joined the
DPU Symphony in the third Brandenburg Concerto. "It was so
much fun - he sat right behind me!" she says. She also
participated in a musical flash mob that Yo-Yo Ma joined. Heidi
is also a First Year Resident Assistant at DePauw, and is studying
to be a music educator. Additionally, she is vice-president of
the Collegiate National Association for Music Educators
Chapter, and is preparing for the Educators Conference on
campus.
Class of 2011
Isabel Guadarrama (WHS), Bryn
M aw r C o l l e g e c l a s s o f 2 0 1 5 ,
describes her life at Bryn Mawr as
"amazing." In the Equestrian Club, she
has started to learn how to do jumps.
As a member of the Environmental
Club, she is promoting composting on
campus, and will participate in a
strike against fracking in the Delaware
River. Isabel is also an ambassador for
the Admissions Office, where her job
is to convince high school girls to attend Bryn Mawr - "which
every Schuler woman should," she adds.
ATTENTION'COLLEGE'SENIORS!
College Connections Calling
Program Supports Scholars
This past summer, Schuler launched the College Connections
Volunteer Calling Program. The College Connections program
is designed to create a pipeline for communication between
college Scholars and our local Schuler community. Fourteen
qualified and motivated volunteers were paired with 74
graduating high school seniors as they headed off to college.
Volunteers, familiar with the college process, met their assigned
Scholars at the Schuler Alumni Event held at Independence
Grove in July. Volunteers began to reach out to assist Scholar's
transitions to college and hear about their accomplishments
once on campus. Volunteers continue to check in with their
Scholars regularly and serve as role models and advisors to our
Scholars through college and beyond.
Should you know
anyone interested in serving as a College Connections
v o l u n t e e r, p l e a s e c o n t a c t A n d r e a G o o d m a n a t
[email protected].
Save the Date
Panel Discussion: Finding Internships and
Making Them Meaningful
December 21
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Cubby Bear North, Lincolnshire, IL
College and Alumni Reunion
December 21
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (after the Internship
Discussion)
Cubby Bear North, Lincolnshire, IL
More information coming soon!
Do#you#want#to#use#your#Schuler#background#
and#college#experiences#to#help#others?
The#Schuler#Scholar#Program#is#now#
accep<ng#resumes#for#Scholar#Coaches#for#
the#2012B2013#school#year.
Interested#applicants#should#contact#Amanda#
Marshall,#AmeriCorps#Program#Manager,#at#
[email protected]
REMINDER…
ALL COLLEGE SCHOLARS ARE REQUIRED TO
SEND SCHULER THEIR FALL GRADES!
For the fall you may email your semester or
trimester grades to [email protected]
(for the spring you will need to mail Schuler an
official transcript)
GRADES ARE DUE JANUARY 15
17
AmeriCorps News
Scholar Coach Recruitment Off to a Strong Start
Even though new Scholar Coaches are
just finding their footing, recruitment
efforts to create next year’s cadre of
Scholar Coaches are already underway.
Headed by Amanda Marshall,
AmeriCorps Program Manager, SC Kerry
Pearson, Recruitment Coordinator, and
SC Claire Reeder, Recruitment Assistant,
Scholar Coach recruitment continues to
play a critical role in ensuring Schuler’s
growth and success.
Coordinating Scholar Coach recruitment
provides current SCs with a unique
responsibility within the organization,
including representing and promoting
Schuler at career fairs around the
country. This fall, Pearson travelled twice
to the Boston area to connect with
upcoming graduates at some of Schuler’s
partner colleges and universities. She
attended the Tufts University Career Fair,
as well as the Liberal Arts Recruiting
Connection, where Reeder joined her.
Furthermore, sending current SCs to
attract prospective applicants at career
fairs, where they stand alongside
professional recruiters from both the
public and private sector, underscores
the opportunities for professional
development that Schuler offers its SCs.
The Recruiting Coordinators organize
and execute steps all throughout the
process to aid Marshall: from identifying
potential career fairs, to preparing
application materials, to pursuing new
avenues for recruitment. This year, they
have helped extend recruitment into new
niches, including an updated online
presence, like on Idealist.org; an Internet
webinar; and visits to career and
multicultural offices on the fall college
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trips. Additionally, they are helping to
coordinate an in-person component of the
SC interview process, which will take
place for the first time in Chicago this
winter.
The Boston trips provided not only a
chance to connect with potential SCs, but
also a chance to connect with some of
Schuler’s College Scholars. On both trips,
Pearson met for dinner with Scholars who
attend colleges in the Boston area
including Harvard, Wellesley, Brandeis
and Tufts. After spending the afternoon
promoting to prospective SCs the benefits
and daily excitement of working towards
Schuler’s mission, it was inspiring and
heartening to listen to these College
Scholars share their successes. Especially
as a first-year SC working mainly with
underclassmen High School Scholars,
Reeder was touched to meet College
Scholars for the first time, and observe
how confidently and gracefully they’ve
transitioned to life as a Schuler Scholar
beyond high school. In fact, these positive
interactions with College Scholars
reinforce the recruitment goal that
qualified Scholars will eventually come
full circle and serve as Scholar Coaches
themselves.
Overall, this year’s Scholar Coach
recruitment is opening up connections
with all along the Schuler spectrum:
bringing new people to the organization,
developing SCs currently serving, and
seeing first-hand the way others are
blossoming once they pass onto the next
phase of life – the goal phase – as a
Schuler College Scholar at some of the
nation’s oldest, most prestigious private
liberal arts colleges and universities.
AmeriCorps News
Scholar Coach Perspectives
Explaining my work as a Scholar Coach to people is no easy task.
When asked to describe my job, I often say something like: "I
work for a non-profit organization that helps high school students
from Chicago’s northern suburbs attend college." Though
explanations like this are usually enough to yield an
understanding head-nod and a change of topic, they leave
something to be desired. How could I improve my description?
Let’s take a look:
A year and a half ago when I interviewed for the job of Scholar
Coach, I lacked a clear understanding of exactly what I was
getting myself into. I knew that I would be working with a
college access program as a tutor and mentor. I did not realize
that over the next two years I would work on projects across
numerous schools, develop meaningful relationships with highschool students, and become a part of the Schuler Scholar
Program family. Yet, here I am, about a quarter of the way
through my second term of service as an AmeriCorps Scholar
Coach, and I have done these things and so much more. In the
past 15 months, I have learned more about the so-called real
world than in the previous 21 years of my life. I have learned
from dynamic experiences, from gifted colleagues, and most
impactfully, from the Scholars.
For starters, saying “I work for” is a misnomer, as I do not work
for the Schuler Scholar Program - I am an AmeriCorps volunteer
serving with the Schuler Scholar Program. As Scholar Coaches,
we have proudly chosen to give our time and energy to a
worthwhile cause, eschewing the relative minimum-wage-riches
we could theoretically be earning as fry cooks, cart attendants,
roofers, or cashiers. This dedication to service is part of what I often think about the graciousness of the Schuler Family and
makes our group special.
how far their generosity stretches. The benefits of the Schuler
Scholar Program extend beyond the Scholars. I have seen
Next up for review in my go-to depiction is my use of "non-profit families in need touched by the hope this program offers.
organization" to describe the Schuler Scholar Program. Our Undoubtedly, college communities and students benefit from
organization deserves much more than this generic label. Schuler increased diversity of thought and experience offered by Schuler
is an organization uniquely rich with talent and resources. As a Scholars. Schuler staff enjoy their work in a meaningful and
result of this wealth of resources, Scholar Coaches can focus on challenging environment. The surrounding communities are
our primary task - assisting Scholars - without having to divert touched by Schuler, whether through the financial contributions
time to fundraising efforts. When I’m faced with challenges, help in exposures or through Scholars giving their time through active
is never far away, as I can easily reach out to our experienced, service. In this time of economic turmoil, the Schuler Scholar
brilliant leadership team and my incredibly diverse and Program offers hope and stability to so many.
knowledgeable Scholar Coach peers.
I, too, reap the benefits of this program. Working at a school in
My generic use of "students" to describe Schuler Scholars is far its first year was a challenging and exciting experience. I have
from an adequate portrayal of the amazing young people I work learned so much about what it means to be a team-player with
with on a daily basis. Even after nearly a year and a half with other Schuler staff; I have engaged with the school and learned
Schuler, I am frequently astounded at the devotion, resilience, about how change happens in education (slow and steady seems
and sheer brilliance of Schuler Scholars.
to win the race); I have become a more metacognitive reader
myself while working through difficult texts with the Scholars. I
Finally, our Scholars do not simply "attend college," they cannot imagine working with a more inspirational group of
struggle, thrive, and flourish at our nation’s finest educational students, with a more talented staff, and in a segment of our
institutions. Knowing that, with Scholar Coach assistance, infrastructure with a more pressing need.
Scholars end up at the wonderful colleges and universities
known internally as "Schuler Schools" is more than enough As Scholar Coaches, we have good days and bad days. There are
motivation for me to keep my nose to the grindstone on days where I feel “off” during reading tutoring and I wonder
challenging days.
what good I am doing for the students, and there are days when I
can readily find answers to questions and pose my own to help
Though I would love to expound on every detail and triumph as I Scholars think critically. There are days when half of the students
inform others that I am an AmeriCorps Scholar Coach with the fail an exam, and there are days when hours of paper revisions
Schuler Scholar Program, typical small talk, sadly, does not allow pay off. As Scholar Coaches, we have a shared experience of the
for this depth of description. So, rather than going on about work investment in the future of the Scholars, and a positive
when my conversation companion wants to return to food, externality is the benefit we experience from giving: personal
friends, or football, I stick to the script and say just enough to and professional growth. This shared vision of growth and
satisfy social graces, relishing my great fortune as one of the change for the future far outweighs the highs and lows of the
privileged few aware of the wonder of the Scholar Coach day-to-day.
position.
- Megan Melloy, Scholar Coach at MEHS
- Scott Koenning, Scholar Coach at HPHS and RLHS
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Our Mission
The Schuler Scholar Program prepares under-resourced, high potential students
to succeed at the most competitive private colleges and universities. Schuler
Scholars are typically first generation college bound, come from under
resourced families or communities and will need financial assistance in order
to attend college. Many Scholars are from a population that is under
represented on college campuses.
We believe that if high potential but vulnerable students have access to
academic and enrichment programs while in high school, are well informed of
college options, receive support from family, friends, teachers and mentors, are
motivated, and secure financial assistance, they will be successful in obtaining
a college degree.
WHS Senior Scholar Lina Luu submits her Common Application with the
encouragement of College Counselor Juli Scalf at the Waukegan High
School “Click Submit” party.
www.schulerprogram.org