Five of Steinmetz’s top seniors are Chicago Scholars, part of an organization that gives Chicago students a lot of help to succeed, including an extra pair of eyes and hands to excel in their college applications and scholarships.

Seniors Millie Martinez, Frank Cabrera, Michael Sanchez, JayAnn Perez and Abdul Yahya used that opportunity in the process of working toward their post secondary plans.

All thrived at their onsite interviews at the McCormick Place on October 23.

“It was a wonderful experience that let me practice my interview skills and meet with professionals from so many universities while being surrounded by so many inspirational people with strong wills and big dreams,” Michael said.

Abdul added onto that: “Chicago Scholars supported me with the process of applying to colleges and finding the best fit colleges based on my career and financial aid and preparing for onsite admissions.”

Millie got accepted into multiple universities during the onsite interviews, but most special to her was Loyola University, her top choice.

Abdul also got into his top choice, the University of Illinois at Chicago, which he said made his Chicago Scholars experience very successful. Frank got into Iowa State. Michael Sanchez into all of his university choices: Bradley University, Loyola University, Illinois Institute of Technology and DePaul University.
JayAnn got admitted into Dominican University and the University of Iowa.

The students applied to Chicago Scholars as juniors and began getting help in the summer. The website explains the process:

Scholars join College Access: Launch during their junior year of high school. During this first stage, we support our scholars as they apply to colleges, enroll in a best match-fit college of their choice, and begin building their leadership skills.

We match each scholar with a professional college counselor for 8 one-on-one counseling sessions, guide them through a specialized curriculum of college access workshops, and place them in a mentoring cohort with 3-4 experienced adult mentors and 6-7 Scholar peers.

Through this comprehensive support system, scholars submit up to six applications to best match-fit colleges from our list of more than 175 college partners, in addition to any other institutions they choose.

In October, our college partners come to Chicago for our annual Onsite Admissions Forum. Scholars complete up to six, one-on-one interviews with admissions officers, receiving early admissions decisions, scholarships, and early evaluation feedback. Through this process, many Chicago Scholars are admitted to their top-choice colleges long before most students have applied.

We then help Scholars through the decision, financial aid, and enrollment processes to ensure they begin college in the fall following their high school graduation.

The program will help scholars for seven years.

“Through college counseling, mentoring, and by providing a supportive community to our scholars through each phase of our program we ensure that they reach their full potential as students and leaders,” the Chicago Scholars website states.

Chicago Scholars uses three terms to characterize the steps of the students: “College Access: Launch, College Success: Lift, College to Careers: Lead.”

Eighty-six percent of Chicago Scholars graduate college within six years, the organization states.

“According to the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, only 48 percent of their peers earn a degree within six years,” the site says. “Upon graduation, our scholars move into leadership positions across Chicago, helping to drive the economic future of their communities and our thriving city.”

[Editor’s note: This piece was updated on Oct. 3, 2017.]

Senior Daria Velazquez and junior Millie Martinez were the only high schoolers chosen to be finalists in the National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence (NYAM) art contest.

The organization helps bring awareness of the affects of gun violence in Chicago through the creation of art by youth, ages 12 – 25.

“Today’s youth are powerful,” NYAM founder Janice Tisha Samuels writes in her piece Youth: The Change-Makers, on the NYAM blog. She said that people of any age are “capable of motivating the masses,” and that change is possible.

In addition to Daria and Millie, the NYAM team included experienced artists in their 20s.

Daria Velazquez (self-portrait) and Millie Martinez (NYAM photo)

Millie and Daria’s pieces are displayed on billboards on the west side and south side of Chicago from Aug. 28 through Oct. 1. The six other pieces by NYAM artists are also displayed. The NYAM website shows the images and provides the locations of all the pieces. 

Daria’s piece is on a billboard at 2854 W. Armitage; Millie’s piece is displayed in two places – at 2327 W. Fullerton and 7555 S. Racine.

Art teacher Rosanna Mark had encouraged the students to apply to NYAM. Once Daria and Millie were accepted, they participated in workshops. They learned techniques used by the older artists and grew as artists.

They also had the chance to “reflect on and unpack the deeply layered ways in which violence, either experienced or perceived through a sense of fear or worry, affects life in Chicago for everyone,” as the NYAM website states was part of the first stage of the project.

“I didn’t know much about gun violence since I live in a safe area,” Millie said. “But I wanted to learn more about it.”

Daria had more experience with gun violence, she said. When she was younger, she lived in Humboldt Park. She moved to Belmont Craigen and recently moved back to Humboldt Park. Her involvement in NYAM showed her how common the violence is in Humboldt Park.

“I started to pay attention to the news more and it made me realize we don’t have strong gun laws,” Daria said. “Innocent people die everyday and politicians should do something about it.”

Through their art, NYAM artists have been able to bring awareness to gun violence and share powerful messages.

‘You or Me (America)’ by Daria Velazquez and ‘Caught in the Noose’ by Millie Martinez

“Anyone could be a victim to gun violence,” Daria said about her piece.

Millie’s message was more about how people don’t really pay close attention to gun violence, but it’s always there.

NYAM is about making people think about gun violence and the issues that arise from it by putting up the artwork in the city.

“The power of visual art and multimedia animation shows how gun violence affects those living in Chicago,” the NYAM website states.

In the NYAM workshops, Millie and Daria’s artwork was analyzed and criticized before going up on billboards. This helped for the best version of all of the art pieces to occur before displayed.

The opportunity helped Millie and Daria grow as artists and allowed them to showcase their art where their pieces are bound to be noticed.

Millie’s piece at 2327 W. Fullerton

Millie said she felt happy and proud seeing her art on the billboard.

NYAM encourages everyone to see the billboards. By using a downloadable app for Augmented Reality and visiting the billboards, viewers can literally see the art come to life.

“Using Augmented Reality technology (think Pokemon Go!), each billboard will also be equipped with informational videos on organizations working to reduce violence in the city and the functionality for viewers to instantly sign-up to volunteer with these organizations,” the NYAM website states.

“Art + Activism + Technology = NYAM.”

The third stage of the NYAM is for the campaign to take the tour to other cities.

“These youth then take what they’ve learned and use it to co-lead an outdoor art tour in another US city besieged by gun violence,” the NYAM website states. “In this way, the project seeks to galvanize a national youth art movement and to provide these youth with educational and career opportunities in the arts and public service.”

As part of this effort, NYAM artists attended the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on September 14-17.

“The forum was the most eye-opening experience I’ve ever had; even making me realize the potential I had all along,” Daria said.

She and Millie were flown to Minneapolis and provided with food and a hotel room.

“During this experience, the most memorable thing was being able to meet the U.S. Senator from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, who in person is such an inspiring individual,” Daria said. “Her story of surviving an assassination attempt that left her with a severe brain injury echoed through the auditorium and even brought tears to people’s eyes.

“She was full of spirit even after the tragic incident she went through. Giffords took that negativity and turned it into positivity. In her work against gun violence she inspired me to work on myself and to do the same.”

NYAM encourages viewers of the art to not only see the creative work, but to actually take action against gun violence.

Daria’s piece at 2854 W. Armitage.

Artist descriptions from the “Our Team” tab of the NYAM website:

Daria V., NYAM Emerging Artist and Thought Leader

Daria is a self-taught artist living in Chicago who expresses her thoughts, real-life experiences and beliefs through her work. Using art for self-care and self-expression for the last 7 years has inspired her to become an Art Therapist. Daria plans to pursue a Master’s degree in both Psychology and Art after she graduates high school in 2018.

Millie M., NYAM Emerging Artist and Thought Leader

Millie is a rising junior in high school with a 4.9 GPA.  She is a growing artist who started becoming serious about her art practice three years ago. As a teenager working with NYAM, she hopes to spread awareness of gun violence and to positively impact her peers.

The students have been given the opportunity to go to Minneapolis from September 14 – 17 for the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Their art work has been selected to be put up at the forum event for everyone to see, but we need help.

NYAM is trying to raise $5,000 to cover all of the expenses for the trip.

“It would mean a lot to us if you could donate some money for our trip,” Daria said.

https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/national-youth-art-movement-against-gun-violence/campaigns/945

The Academic Decathlon team placed 8th out of 22 schools in the first round of competition on Jan. 28. The next round is scheduled for February 18.

Many of our decathletes won awards:

Valeriia Lytvak, varsity – 2nd in music, 4th in science, 5th in language and literature

Ryan Allibone, scholastic – 6th in economics

Aaron Borda, varsity – 5th in social science, 6th in music, 6th in math

David Krasnicki – 5th in language and literature

Alina Qureshy, varsity – 6th in social science, 5th in math, 4th in art and 1st in language and literature

Vincent Fernandez, honors – 4th in science, 5th in art,  highest team score.

The team has put much dedication and time to be where it is right now. The Brainiacs are honored to represent our school in such a prestigious organization and thankful for the time that our coaches put into the team.