Evanston Scholars

Mekhi Williams (fourth year, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) did amazing work at Endeavor Health this summer!

In early August, RISE (Relevant Internships for Successful Employment) college sophomore Scholars delivered presentations about their professional and networking experiences over the summer to the Evanston Scholars community (Evanston Scholars staff, fellow Scholars, & career partners). Here, William Fogue Wambo (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) talks about his internship at Energy CX. What professional opportunity did you gain over summer 2024? WILLIAM:  My internship was with Energy CX, an energy sustainability and procurement company. This is a family-owned and managed company with the mission to educate all companies on how to save energy efficiently. My position as a summer intern at Energy CX demanded an abundance of analysis and research within the lead generation and market intelligence departments. I quickly needed to learn how every property, or company used its energy. I determined which companies qualified and were ideal customers for our company. What did you gain from your professional opportunity? WILLIAM: This was my first internship in a corporate setting and this experience solidified my interest in renewable energy. I am interested in renewable energy as a subcategory of civil engineering. This is the area I want to get into, sourcing energy. I want to head down the route of construction management. I want to see how that side plays out and weigh my options from the experiences I gained with Energy CX. 

Thank you Career Partners! The Evanston Scholars RISE (Relevant Internships for Successful Employment) program supports Sophomore College Scholars as they work to secure internships, research opportunities, or fellowships during the summer break. We want our Scholars to begin the process of launching their professional careers well before college graduation. Driztin (Soleil) Anderson (University of Miami) Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, Kehinde Ajasa (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) Northwestern Kellogg School of Management & sr4 Partners, Cindy Santiaguillo (University of Illinois Chicago) MERGE, Linnea Downs (Emerson College) Studio Institute at Art Works Projects, Luis Sanchez (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Epstein Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Bernard Jones (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Endeavor Health, Sean Muganwa (Rockford University) Coursera Cyber Security Certification Program, Joanna Tafolla (Princeton University) Gilbane Building Company, Michael Burrell Jr  (Illinois State University) Amazon, Sajeda Yagoub (Stanford University) Stanford Medicine, William Fogue Wambo (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Energy CX, Ramina Daood (Columbia College Chicago) American Sign Language Interpreting Opportunities, Eli Dunlap (University of Chicago) FORA: Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America, Soumia Kaltimi (University of Illinois at Chicago), Pricewaterhouse Cooper (PwC), Giselle Moreno-Rios (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Chicago School of Phlebotomy, Karel Pene Njine (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS): Pusan National University (Busan, South Korea), Justin Royal (Bradley University) Ciorba Group, Inc. Become a Career Partner Today! https://lnkd.in/g2t6B3pe

Fresh Start and Summer Success Series Day at YWCA Evanston/North Shore! First: College Success Associate Karina Henderson kicks off the second Fresh Start by reminding the Scholars they can Make It Happen! Second: Rising college first-years and college Scholars are given icebreakers by Northlight Theater. Third: Board Member and Mentor Joel Huerta shares Learning Management Systems that colleges uses such as Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and more with the Scholars. #makeithappen #evanston #college

Become a Mentor and make a lasting impact! You'll need a college degree, a commitment of at least four years, and a passion for helping students succeed. Mentors serve as a source of information, inspiration, and moral support throughout our six-year program. In the first two years, mentors accompany High School Scholars and their families through the college application and financial aid process. Once students gain admission to college, mentors support them through the ups and downs of their college years and help celebrate graduation. Many mentors and Scholars develop relationships that endure after college. Apply at: https://lnkd.in/gAAcStZE

Class of 2025 College Essay Bootcamp at Northwestern University! First: College Scholars Alejandro Ramirez (second-year, Northern Illinois University), Evelyn Martinez (second-year University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Agnes Bijole-Himes (second-year, Northwestern University), Fernanda Villasenor (second-year, Colby College) and Edward Medina (second-year, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) share advice with the Class of 2025 on essay writing, college life, and more. Second: College Access Associate Diestefano Loma helps Scholar Isaiah Gaddy with his essay. Third: Assistant Director of College Access Andrea Guy helps Scholar Corinne Sylvestre come up with topics for her essay. #evanston #makeithappen #college

Karina Henderson joins the team as a College Success Associate! Karina holds an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Rhodes College and an M.S. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University. Throughout college and graduate school, they gained professional experience in college admissions and access, student success, and non-profit work, primarily serving students of historically marginalized identities. Before joining the Evanston Scholars team, Karina was an Assistant Director of Admissions at Lake Forest College and spent five years working with high school students from Evanston and Chicago. As a first-generation college graduate, Karina's personal mission is to nurture students' confidence and ensure that they have a positive experience in college, no matter what their unique journey looks like. Karina is honored to have the opportunity to be part of the Evanston Scholars team.

Back to School! Let's Make It Happen! The Evanston Scholars Class of 2026 (high school juniors) started the school year strong with a New Scholar Boot Camp at the YWCA Evanston/North Shore. We welcome the new cohort in our program with community-building activities, self-assessments, and goal-setting. The latest College Times is out now! Read here: https://lnkd.in/gyhFgFaQ Did You Know: College Success Restructure In The News: Cool College Lists/Rankings Thank you to our Career Partners for providing our Scholars with internships and job opportunities during the summer!

SCHOLAR PROFILE ETHS Senior Scholar Mira Hasiba shares what she's most looking forward to this school year and her plans for success COLLEGE TIMES: What are you most excited about for this upcoming school year, and why? MIRA: One of the things I think I’m most excited for this upcoming school year would be the senior tradition of senior sunrise and sunset. The idea of watching the sunrise to indicate the beginning of our senior year and then, later on in the school year, watching the sunset on senior year will be a surreal experience as I know this school year will fly by. Spending these moments with my friends as we enter the last year of high school will be an exciting, yet sad, experience for many as my friends and I get ready to start the next chapter of our lives when our chapter at ETHS comes to a close. COLLEGE TIMES: What new goals or initiatives are you setting for yourself this school year, and how do you plan to achieve them? MIRA: One goal I have set for myself this school year is to apply to a majority of my schools within the early action time period. By applying early action, it will help me figure out sooner what colleges I am accepted to as well as giving me time to relax during finals season. One way I plan to achieve this goal is to work on one or two supplements during my free period every week. This way I have some time to get my supplementals done while being able to study and do homework during the time I have after school and my extracurriculars. Read more of Mira's interview in the College Times Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gyhFgFaQ #evanston #makeithappen #collegetimes

We are so proud of all Scholars and so thankful to our Career Partners for internships, job opportunities, and more! What a great summer!