HFS Chicago Scholars

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our fantastic freshmen who joined us for the HFS Freshmen Connection summer bridge program at DePaul College Prep! With the support of our incredible guest speakers and intern team, our incoming scholars had the opportunity to gain valuable insights and prepare for their journeys through high school, college, and beyond. From workshops on “Essay Writing” to sessions on “Mental Health and Self-Care,” our scholars came away equipped with the essential skills needed for the road ahead. A special shoutout to our guest speakers Veronica Hauad from University of Chicago, Moises Orozco Villicana, Ph.D. from University of Illinois Chicago, Reuben Burnley from Dominican University, Jason Skrodzki from State of Illinois - Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and West Monroe as well as our mentors, Matt Kovatchis and Santalucia Hernandez, for providing our students with the guidance they need to navigate their lives successfully. To the Class of 2028: We are incredibly excited to see how far you'll go!

Calling all current mentors & future mentors!! HFS Chicago Scholars is so excited to host our annual summer mentor engagement event. Please join us on Thursday, July 18 from 6:00-8:00PM at the HFS office for a fun evening of learning & sharing about the mentorship program. We are so thankful to add 76 new scholars to our family as well as 76 new mentors. If you are a current mentor or an interested mentor, come on out! The mentor application for the 24-25 school is open and can be found here: https://shorturl.at/VxK2h. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact Director of Mentor Relations Ilyssa Haner at ihaner@hfschicagoscholars.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Congratulations to all of our scholars and mentors who received awards at this year's Scholar Awards Ceremony at Chicago Hope Academy! 🎉 🎉 🎉 A very special shout out to HFS alumnus, mentor and Executive Board member as well as Saint Ignatius College Prep, Michigan State University, University of Alabama at Birmingham alumnus, Raymond Whearley II for receiving the Heart of HFS Award. Ray as always embodied and continues to embody the best of what it means to be a lifelong HFS scholar. Thank you also to all of our student speakers and staff for a incredibly moving evening. And finally, a huge thank you to all of the mentors and staff at ComEd and The NEED Project for celebrating our seniors' completion of the CREATE a Spark STEM program! 💯 🎓

A huge congratulations to HFS Three Pillars Scholar, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund scholar, and Marist High School Chicago graduate, Isaac Soto, for receiving this year's the Spirit of HFS Award! Over the past four years, Isaac has truly embodied what it means to be a HFS scholar. He is an immensely genuine, open-hearted, and caring young man. His generosity of spirit is truly inspirational. Isaac will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall as an Chick Evans Scholar! Go Isaac! 🎉 💯 🔥

Congratulations to HFS scholar and Chicago Hope Academy graduate, Kaileigh, who will be attending DePauw University in the fall to study biology on the pre-med track! We're so excited for you, Kaileigh1! 🎉 🎓 💯

Congratulations to HFS Three Pillars Scholar and Mount Carmel High School graduate, Luis, who will be attending DePaul University in the fall to study finance! Go Luis, we are so excited for you! 🔥 🎓 💯

A huge congratulations to HFS Three Pillars Scholar and Saint Ignatius College Prep graduate, Meley, who will be attending Columbia University in the fall with a full-ride! Go Meley! We're so proud of you! 🎉 🎓 💯

Congratulations to HFS scholar and Leo Catholic High School, Theauntae, who will be attending Knox College in the fall to study business management and play football for the Prairie Fire! Go Theauntae, we're so excited for you! 🎉 🎓 💯

We went All In! Our annual All in For Scholars Casino Night was a great success! Board members, staff, mentors & friends of HFS enjoyed an evening of poker, food & friends. We are so thankful for dedicated folks that offer their time, talents & treasures to make our mission a reality. A special thank you to Kerri Lin for organizing the event & to Galleria Marchetti for hosting! We look forward to another program year full of lifelong memories, successful programming & empowering friendships. 🎲 ♥ 🃏

Today we continue to celebrate the HFS Class of 2024 by congratulating HFS Three Pillars Scholar, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund scholar, and graduate from Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart, Da'Niya Phillips! Da'Niya will be attending University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall with a full-ride to study political science! Congratulations, Da'Niya! We are so excited for you! 🎉 🎓 💯