College-bound: Student reflections shared at the MEF Golf Outing

On a beautiful summer day, Midtown Educational Foundation hosted its 20th Annual Golf for the Kids Outing June 17th, benefiting the youth enrichment programs at Midtown for boys and Metro for girls.

Board member of the Chicago Bears Brian McCaskey and Bears Center and Guard Roberto Garza co-chaired the event at Schaumburg golf course, where players enjoyed a full-round of golf followed by dinner among colleagues and Midtown-Metro youth alike. 2013 marks the 14th consecutive graduating class to achieve 100% high school graduation and 100% college enrollment. 

Alicia, an MEF graduate, shared her reflections with everyone about life at Metro over the last five years.

"I have been at Metro for five years now. My dad enrolled me at Metro. He is a single dad who was looking for support and we found it at Metro. When I was six years old, my dad was electrocuted while working as an electrician. He had third degree burns all over his body. It's hard to find good paying jobs. Because of his condition, he couldn't pay for private school or extra tutoring. 

We see Metro as a blessing. Every week, I received tutoring and advising. When I first came to Metro, I was a little bit of a tomboy. My dad taught me how to play soccer and play in the dirt, but when I came to Metro, I started to become more of a woman. When I first started at Metro my ACT score was a 20. I took advantage of all the opportunities Metro had to offer-- tutoring, Geometry Boot Camp over the summer, ACT classes, and of course a speech class that helped me prepare for public speaking. By the end of my junior year, my ACT score had improved by 5 points. I also expanded my college resume through service learning programs. At Metro I received over 100 hours of community service. I also had the opportunity to leave the country for the first time to study abroad in Paraguay with a full scholarship. This helped me learn that there are so many opportunities out there for me. 

Metro's advisors and tutors also helped me make a college decision.  Metro's dedicated staff have helped me apply for college, write admissions essays, apply for financial aid, choose a dorm and meal plan. This fall, I will be attending University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. With the help of Metro proofreading my essays and searching for scholarships, I received a full ride scholarship. I'm thankful for all the support Metro has given me with mentoring, tutoring, and especially forming new friendships. Thank you again for making this opportunity possible for me."