Four years ago I had the pleasure to volunteer at North Lawndale College Prep (NLCP) as a judge for a senior project which is a requirement for graduation at NLCP. I had already volunteered at several CPS schools in the Chicagoland area, but NLCP was different. What stood out most to me is that there were no metal detectors at the door which is uncommon at many Chicago public schools. The safety at this school communicated a commitment to teaching the students peaceful resolution, push for higher standards and provide a welcoming and safe atmosphere. Shortly after I joined the Associate Board and became the leader of the mentoring committee with the program I designed. We started a pilot program with 12 sophomore students. The girl I mentored, Ashley, will be going to Truman State University in the Fall and she is the first in her family to go to college. I still maintain a relationship with her as our time together was much more than the mentoring program. We developed a friendship.

Alejandra and Ashley

In addition, to my work on the Association Board and the mentoring program, I have had the privilege to assist with fundraising programs and participate in discussions around services and needs for the school with the President and other key staff. I have witnessed firsthand the impact that these services have to the students and the care, attention, and persistence that it takes to accomplish them. The mission of NLCP is to prepare young people from under-resourced communities for graduation from high school with the academic skills and personal resilience necessary for successful completion of college. Helping our students achieve the dream of a college degree is the single-minded purpose, and an endeavor started from the first the day they walk in as freshmen. This effort will continue until they complete college regardless of how long that may take.

Please join me to support NLCP on this worthwhile mission. Chicago neighborhoods like North Lawndale needs bright centers of hope like North Lawndale College Prep. – www.crowdrise.com/molex

Learn more about how the school has helped foster success for thousands of families in the North Lawndale and surrounding Chicago community – www.nlcphs.org