News Archives
Read an archive of PBKACA news.
Announcing our 2017 Scholarship Winner – Pablo Romo
August 2017
Pablo Romo will begin his studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, this fall. He has been awarded the 2017 PBKACA Scholarship. We are thrilled to provide assistance to this young man who we know has a bright future studying mechanical engineering.
Pablo provided PBKACA with the following letter. Meet Pablo Romo, in his own words…
I have grown up in Chicago as the son of two undocumented immigrants. My childhood might have not been the easiest, given the situation, which profoundly affected me and my family financially; however, we have been able to overcome our difficulties and move on as a family raising their children. My parents are my biggest source of influence and motivation for my goal of having a career through college. I have seen firsthand what a life of brutal physical work can do to someone, how it can basically deteriorate someone’s health over time. Seeing this, I have been motivated to go to school to pursue a career for myself where I am paid for what I know, not what I can do physically, while at the same time having a passion for my work and a choice of where I do it.
I myself am no stranger to how terrible physical labor can be. Having worked in landscaping since I was about fourteen, my experience of harsh conditions has further fueled my desire to pursue a career through a college education. At the same time, I value the hard work I have done. I would do it again if I could because I have been able to help my family financially and learn very valuable lessons, especially through working with machines. Being exposed to machines, I have built a passion for them, which has made me pursue a career in mechanical engineering. It will be no easy feat, but I know with my skills, I can meet the challenge.
Congratulations to Board Members!
July 2017
PBKACA would like to congratulate Daniel Egel-Weiss for his acceptance into Harvard Law School. Daniel will be leaving the Chicago area for Boston this fall to pursue his JD. We wish him the best!
PBKACA would also like to congratulate Danielle Voloshin on completing her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and taking a position in Los Angeles. We wish her the best on the west coast!
Miguel de Baca receives 2017–18 Terra Foundation Visiting Professorship at the University of Oxford
July 2017
Miguel de Baca, PBKACA Executive Board member and Lake Forest College Liaison, received the Terra Foundation Visiting Professorship at the University of Oxford. For more information, please visit the Terra Foundation’s website.
Christie Hefner Interviewed by Brad Keywell
February 2017
Christie Hefner, PBKACA member, received her key from Brandeis University. She is the former CEO of Playboy, political activist, and 2017 Newseum Free Expression Award winner. She he was recently interviewed by Brad Keywell, a Chicago-based entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building data-driven B2B enterprises, on his podcast The Upside. Last November, PBKACA honored Brad with the Distinguished Service Award. To listen to Christie’s episode on the podcast you can find it here, and then just click to open it in iTunes.
Tour Peru with PBKACA
November 2016
Welcome to Phi Beta Kappa Travel, an exclusive group that takes you to the most interesting and exotic places in the world! We are born out of the excitement of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area (PBKACA) and are planning a trip to Peru this summer where we will visit the Amazon region as well as the amazing site of Machu Picchu. The tour is being organized by PBKACA’s Ronald and Julianne Gorny, travel specialists from Travel Adventures and Tours, and in association with A&S Signature Journeys. Participants will visit the Amazon Rainforest, the Sacred Valley, take part in cooking and chocolate workshops, experience the Vista Dome train and two days exploring Machu Picchu, tour Lima and the famous Larco Musuem (Gold Museum) with lunch with the Curator, join in on the famous Inca festival of the Sun and enjoy many other incredible experiences. Please see the flyer for all the details!
The Festival of the Sun is an important and popular Incan rite and hotel accommodations in the city of Cusco are very limited. We have reserved 20 rooms for the event but will need to receive acommitment by January 15th in order to hold those rooms. Even more exciting is that we have arranged for an extension of the trip to the Galapagos Islands after the tour for those who wish to visit this amazing place. If you would like to join us for an incredible journey, please contact us as soon as possible to secure a place on the tour roster and to reserve one of the rooms for the Festival of the Sun. Please address any questions to traveladventuresandtours@yahoo.com or fill out the attached contact form and return to the same address.
Announcing our 2016 Scholarship Recipient – Trenati Baker
June 2016
Trenati Baker will begin her studies at Amherst College this fall. She has been awarded the 2016 PBKACA Scholarship. We are thrilled to provide assistance to this young woman who we know has a bright future.
Trenati provided PBKACA with the following letter:
To Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship Committee,
It is with humility and profound gratitude that I accept the 2016 Phi Beta Kappa Association of Chicago Area scholarship. I am deeply honored to be this year’s recipient of the scholarship.
Currently, I am a senior at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School where, among many things, I am a part of the work study program with an internship at Salesforce, the Chicago Students Union, Freshman Mentors, Zumba Dance Club, On The Money magazine, and Fit4You, a nonprofit organization that I co-founded four years ago. In the coming weeks, I will graduate high school with high honors as a result of my favorable standardized test scores and grades. The fall marks my transition into college. I will attend Amherst College with an intended double major of African American Studies and Political Science. My interests lie deeply in law and policy-making and come from my desire to resolve the issues in America.
This scholarship will ease some of the financial burdens of pursuing my post-secondary education. It will allow me to focus on my collegiate learning experience rather than worrying about how I’ll pay for it. Additionally, it will allow me to continue fight for and encourage food justice, financial literacy, and educational equity. Simultaneously, this scholarship will allow me to immerse myself into new organizations at my college campus, like the Black Students Union, Amherst College Outing Club, and WAMH (Amherst Radio).
All in all, the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Chicago Area scholarship will remove financial stress and worry which will allow me to have more energy and time to be a more multi-dimensional student. This alone will allow me to be more successful in reaching my dream of becoming a lawyer, and, one day, a Supreme Court justice.
Positive change can be made by anyone. I plan to make positive change in the future, and this scholarship will greatly help me along that path. Thanks again for this generous and meaningful scholarship and honor.
Best Wishes,
Trenati Baker
Congratulations Miguel!
February 2016
Miguel de Baca, PBKACA member and Lake Forest College liaison, had his book Memory Work published. Congratulations Miguel!
Keys to Action Press Release
From Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area
For Immediate Release:
December 1, 2015For More Information:
President Judi Strauss-Lipkin
630-842-4911Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area Tells State Lawmakers: “Fund Liberal Arts Higher Education”
Chicago, IL — In the spirit of Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Keys to Action Week, the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area (PBKACA) calls on Illinois lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner (Phi Beta Kappa, Cornell ‘78) to fund liberal arts higher education.
“It is critical that we preserve funding for liberal arts higher education in the state of Illinois,” said Judi Strauss-Lipkin, President of PBKACA. “State lawmakers should be aware that many of our nation’s top employers seek to hire liberal arts and sciences students. This is an economic imperative.”
PBKACA is the Chicago chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society alumni association, representing over 15,000 key holders in the Chicagoland Area. Phi Beta Kappa was founded on December 5, 1776, and is the oldest honors society for the liberal arts and sciences.
“A liberal arts degree allows our citizens the ability to write clearly, speak well, and speak their mind,” added Judi. “These are the highest ideals for members of a democratic society, and we should not inhibit any person’s ability to learn, think, or express themselves. We should fully fund liberal arts higher education.”
Currently, the state of Illinois has discontinued MAP Grants and funding for institutions of higher education. Some universities and liberal arts colleges in Illinois receive as much as 44% of their funding from the state.
PBKACA aims to promote and advocate for excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. For more information about Phi Beta Kappa’s efforts to save the liberal arts, or PBKACA, contact Judi Strauss-Lipkin at jstrausslipkin@gmail.com or 630-842-4911.
Update from our 2015 Scholarship Recipient—Anthony Zhao
November 2015
Dear PBKACA,
I am writing from the midst of my freshman fall semester, and yet, there is so much I can talk about. I was nervous coming into this school year. I am far from my friends and family and the thought worried me; I had never truly been alone. Luckily there were others like me who I met through icebreakers scheduled by the dorm. These connections helped me get through each week. We spent most of our time together, and my new friends made me feel comfortable here. Because of them, the university has grown on me, and I consider this my home.
There is more free time here in college. My courses however, take a majority of my time. I have needed to hone my time management skills in order to involve myself outside of academics. I allocate some of the remaining time to a fraternity I pledged to. I am also hoping to pick up another extracurricular, but I am not entirely sure which to choose from. I checked out a couple of the clubs and those I do not see myself wanting to stick with. I am hoping I find something, though now might be a difficult time to do so. Most clubs are highly invested already. If I cannot find something soon, I am targeting the spring semester. I have high hopes that it will work out; out of the absurd amount of extracurricular activities offered, I believe I will find a gem.
I am ecstatic here at Urbana-Champaign. Yes, there may be rough patches here and there but ultimately I love it here. I must give thanks to PBKACA too since their generosity is a big factor in why I can enjoy myself here. Their belief in me has enabled me to focus solely on college. I hope to be able to live up to their expectations as I look to make the right choices for my future.
Thank you,
Anthony Zhao
Freshman, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAnnouncing our 2015 Scholarship Recipient – Anthony Zhao
June 2015
Anthony Zhao will begin his studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall. He has been awarded the 2015 PBKACA Scholarship. We are thrilled to provide assistance to this young man who we know has a bright future.
Anthony provided PBKACA with the following letter:
Dear PBKACA:
I was able to meet the other finalists for this same scholarship and we discussed simple matters-where we would be attending college and activities we participated in throughout high school. When I left after my interview session, I was uncertain if I would be the recipient of the award based on the credentials of the other finalists. The organization however saw something in me that I hope I can live up to, if not exceed their expectations. I am grateful for being chosen for the Phi Beta Kappa Award and my thanks cannot truly be expressed.
I had been a very naïve child. In elementary school, the smaller student body made friendships easier to come by. I went into high school thinking that the atmosphere would be the same. It soon became quite apparent that I was wrong; I found myself alone quite soon. I had to ask myself, what is it that I want? I concluded that I had to gain friends in order to eliminate this loneliness. One day I heard school announcements about the track team and figured it was worth a shot and it was one of the best decisions of my life since it brought me friends. I see the value of extracurricular activities and I will dip my feet into many more in college.
I will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for business for the 2015-16 school year. I hope to be selected into their accounting program when I am able to apply. As a student at UIUC I have high hopes for the future because my past has taught me who I wish to become and that someone is proactive. Proactive me intends on being involved more throughout the school and community. I am looking to devote more of myself to the community. This world is shared but the circumstances differ per person. Some are born more fortunate than others so any aid goes a long way to those who are in need. Furthermore there are problems with our planet’s health and the environment can use all the help it can get. I am uncertain what exactly I may end up doing in regards to service but I am going to make sure I help in some way. By being a recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa award, it helps me facilitate my interest in helping the community more while receiving a great education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Anthony Zhao
PBKACA 2015 Scholarship Recipient
Update from our 2014 Scholarship Recipient—Davit Ksor
December 2014
Dear PBKACA members,
Once again it is my honor to be a part of this esteemed scholarship program. The first semester of college is often the hardest I’ve been told by many of my seniors on campus, but also the most fun. This is a fact I have experienced firsthand. I have enjoyed nights out attending colloquiums given by professors or eating frozen yogurt with my TA. I have also stayed up late studying for tests or finishing homework that I didn’t quite get at first.
The struggles and joys I’ve experienced this semester are numerous and I cannot wait to start anew in spring. People tell me that physics is the hardest subject on campus, and that it requires ten times more effort than every other major. I’ve managed to succeed so far and I have no intention on stopping. College has certainly opened my eyes to the way the real world works.
I look forward to the upcoming challenges because I know I have many people who are supporting me and hoping for my success. This support has kept my morale and prospects for the future in good standing, I can never thank the members of PBKACA enough.
So here’s to all the hardships and success that come with college.
Sincerely yours,
Davit Ksor
Update from our 2013 Scholarship Recipient—Juan Carlos Castrejon
December 2014
Dear PBKACA,
Finishing the first semester of my sophomore year, I have come to realize how close the end of my college experience lies. Fortunately, I have finally settled with majoring in statistics. Entering Columbia University with my mind set on financial economics and later realizing that it was of no interest to me, I could not feel more fortunate for having found an academic study that gives purpose to my time at university. Having settled on statistics, I have realized that I have enough space to pursue another area of study. Although I was initially interested in political science or theater, I am now leaning towards computer science.
On a different note, I have been participating in two clubs/organizations on campus. One club is the Voice Acting Club, which was created just this year by a student who was in my acting class last fall. Some activities include voice preparation, rehearsals for live performances and recordings for performance releases on the campus radio station. Also, I have been a part of the Chicano Caucus Organization, which has created a close-knit community in which students feel comfortable to speak out about issues important to them. At least to me, it is a community in which I feel more than comfortable to be open with the other students about things that other students might not entirely understand.
In all, the first half of my sophomore year has been great! I have been able to explore academic areas, which in turn has led me to set my mind on statistics. Also, I have had time to participate in two of the clubs I enjoyed most (of those I tried out, of course). Next semester, I intend to take another theater class for fun, but a lot of these plans and free time to explore the academics and life on campus would not be possible without PBKACA. So, I could not be more grateful to the organization for that.
Thank you,
Juan Carlos CastrejonAnnouncing our 2014 Scholarship Recipient—Davit Ksor
June 2014
Davit Ksor, a senior in the Chicago Public Schools who will begin studies at the University of Illinois this fall, has been awarded the 2014 PBKACA Scholarship. We are delighted to help this intelligent and determined young man to achieve his own goals.
Davit provided PBKACA with the following letter:
Dear Ms. Strauss-Lipkin and members of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Chicago:
Please accept my profound gratitude for choosing me as a 2014 recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Award given to one graduating senior in the Chicago Public Schools. This generous stipend offers peace of mind that is difficult to describe because it is so badly needed. Equally important is the honor the award offers because of its source. I am keenly aware that the Phi Beta Kappa Society has represented the pinnacle of intellectual achievement for more than two centuries and arose from the initiative of students who came of age during the American Revolution. That’s humbling, and the award inspires me to dedicate myself to showing my own initiative to uphold the Society’s high standards.
Coming to the U.S. as a five-year-old refugee from Vietnam, I went through my own revolution as I adjusted with difficulty to learning English, making friends, and figuring out the customs of American children. My parents were not able to be a bridge to our new culture. Although they also were challenged by their new lives in this country, they knew that I was their future, and they insisted that I exhibit perfect behavior and study hard. They seemed to know that if I absorbed the positive aspects of our new nation—free education and the chance to develop my talents—I would prosper and they would too.
I tried to follow what my parents said, not only out of respect but also to ensure their health. You see, both my parents are disabled. My father has only one leg, and my mother’s body is scarred from an accident. These circumstances pushed me to adapt to American life as quickly as possible to be my parents’ bridge to the benefits of this great nation. I must say that America has proven to us that it is truly the land of opportunity. I never thought that after only thirteen years here, I could win such a large and prestigious scholarship. As my parents expected, I have studied hard and enjoyed considerable academic success, but this city has so many amazing high school students that I am deeply appreciative for the Phi Beta Kappa Society having selected me. Once again, thank you.
I will be going to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study physics. I seek to follow in the footsteps of physicists—some great and some unknown—who have given us every technological breakthrough of this century and the one just ended, affecting the lives of people all over the world. My goal is to contribute significantly to the creation of new sources of energy so that the human race can stop relying on a finite supply of decayed animals and plants. I know from my origins in Vietnam, which has limited sources of energy, how frightening it is not to have enough power to improve the lives of its people. No country is immune from the threat of insufficient resources, both natural and manufactured. I want to help provide the world with energy to help solve one of the world’s most urgent problems. When I manage to achieve this, and when I am asked who helped me make it possible, I will say, “The generous people at Phi Beta Kappa.” Thank you for your belief in my talents.
With utmost gratitude,
Davit Ksor
Scholarship Reception honors talented recipients
August 2014
PBKACA members, scholarship recipients, and their families attended our Scholarship Reception honoring the recipients of our annual PBKACA college scholarship. This initiative, begun in 2006, awards a college scholarship to a high school graduate of a Chicago Public School. The students shared remarkable stories of what they have accomplished in college and beyond.
Support our scholarship program »
The reception, held on August 6, 2014, was hosted by Loyola’s Phi Beta Kappa Chapter, Kappa of Illinois.
Living wisdom from a living treasure
May 2014
Chicago Phi Beta Kappa does not often do what it did on May 21. President Judi Strauss-Lipkin made that clear. PBKACA presents its Living Treasure Award only when there is someone truly deserving of it, she said. On this particular evening at the Dana Hotel, that person was Richard Wilbur, M.D., J.D.
He has contributed to the Chicago Association and has had a career based in the ideals of what PBK stands for. It was such a lengthy and varied career that an hour of questioning barely covered the surface, as interviewer Randi Belisomo of WGN television pointed out.
Medicine then
Belisomo started the conversation with a question about Obamacare. It was a natural topic because Wilbur’s involvement in the implementation of Medicare gives him a perspective on the latest effort to retool the U.S. health system.
When the Medicare bill passed in 1965, Wilbur was practicing medicine in the San Francisco Bay area and was also chairman of the board of California Blue Shield, which was responsible for making Medicaid and Medicare work. The bill was highly contentious, Wilbur said. No one suggested we should not care for the aged and the needy. . The debate was about how best to do that, and there was a lot more general anti-government feeling in those days than there is now, he said. That remark drew chuckles.
Like so many compromises, there was a good deal wrong with the Medicare bill when it cleared Congress, Wilbur said. Compromise is not a word that fits with the image of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Belisomo said. “By the time he was finished twisting your arm, you were with him,” Wilbur said. LBJ was a consummate politician. He pressured people and handed out favors, but he also conducted the formulation of Medicare in the open. The bill may have been messy at the end, but it was better than when it entered Congress, he said. As LBJ promised, the bill was modified as it went through the legislative process, in contrast with Obamacare.
The new system was riddled with problems, yet there was no call to give up. “Nobody suggested we repeal Medicare. Everybody said, ‘How do we make this work?’”
Medicine now
There is speculation about what may happen under Obamacare. Wilbur said it will certainly accelerate trends already part of health care.
About the time of World War I we passed a point at which going to a doctor was more likely to help rather than hurt. People sought more care from physicians, but that care was still limited because no solo doctor could solve every problem. Increased specialization provided better care because a group of doctors could bring more knowledge and tools to bear, yet this also reduced the solidity of the doctor-patient relationship.
Obamacare seems more interested in collecting population data than in individual patients, Wilbur said. Doctors will have to enter data in a computer instead of attending fully to patients, and this will increase the depersonalization of medicine that began decades ago. Patients will be patients not of a particular doctor but of a large system and may see a different physician on each visit. Some people pay a supplemental fee to buy more of a doctor’s time (concierge service), but the economic realities of medical practice, including huge student debts exacerbated by Obama administration cuts in money for post-graduate medical education, make it almost impossible for a single doctor to set up his own practice, he said.
Then there was law
Wilbur went to law school because he was tired of paying lawyers. At the time he headed the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Because of a decision it made, the Council was sued for $450 million by several people in New Jersey whose tax avoidance continuing medical education scheme had been spoiled by the Council. Wilbur wanted to learn enough law so he didn’t have to pay lawyers so much from his small budget. But the law pulled him in. “When I graduated I was 66,” Wilbur said.
He is still involved in groups concerned with the intersection of law and medicine, such as the American College of Legal Medicine and the World Association of Medical Law. He also has a good handle on medical malpractice. “Very few people who are injured can afford to go to court.” As a result, he said, less than 1 percent of people injured receive money from a legal judgment.About two/thirds of the cash flows to the people who run the system, including the attorneys on both sides. And although insurance companies complain about large jury awards, what that really says is the companies want to collect premiums, but not pay the cost for providing insurance, he said.
In the Pentagon
It was not political donations that put Wilbur in a Pentagon job during the Vietnam War. Melvin Laird, Secretary of Defense under Richard Nixon, wanted answers to three questions: how to handle a projected shortfall of military doctors because 85 percent of them were drafted into service; what to do about Agent Orange, an effective defoliant that also contained the carcinogen dioxin; and how to handle the heroin abuse problem among troops, a problem that military brass insisted did not exist. Laird d made some calls, and someone recommended Wilbur who was named Assistant Secretary of Defense to tackle the issues.
What did you do about the heroin?, Belisomo asked. We developed a urine test to find out who was using, Wilbur said. The rule said no addict could leave the country, but had to stay in Vietnam until heroin-free for a week. This disincentive to use was clear even to a dull GI, and a follow-up survey five years after found 95 percent of those who tested positive remained off the narcotic.
Some other topics
What is the most revolutionary medical advance you have seen?, Belisomo asked. Antibiotics, Wilbur said. In 1940 mortality from infectious diseases was 40 percent. Scourges now forgotten—polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and others—killed people regularly, and many of them were young people. Twenty years after introduction of effective vaccines and the first antibiotics, mortality from infectious diseases had fallen to 4 percent. There is still death from disease of course, but now it has been shifted from the young to older people, he said.
What field has progressed least? Psychiatry, Wilbur said. It’s better, and the medications are better, but basic knowledge and treatments have not expanded as one may have expected as much as other parts of medicine have.
What about Richard Nixon? “I think he’s one of the smartest people I ever met.” He had an extraordinary ability to analyze situations, and he was willing to oppose people in his own party if he thought an action was right. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment, created the Environmental Protection Agency, and although a lifelong anti-Communist opened diplomatic relations with China, which made the Vietnam struggle unimportant in geopolitics and opened a path to ending U.S. involvement in the war.
There was something missing in Wilbur’s comments. For anyone paying attention to political and policy debates of the moment there was a noticeable absence of the partisan righteousness that allows no nuance and extinguishes opposition. Richard Wilbur’s perspective is the product of a career so long and insights so deep that no room remains for dogma.
Update from Juan Carlos Castrejon, our 2013 Scholarship Recipient
November 2013
Dear PBKACA,
I could not be more satisfied with how my first year here at Columbia has, so far, turned out! It is definitely what I expected—challenging, demanding, and intense. I have learned that this is where I belong, aware that I made the right decision in attending this institution.
Let me begin by saying that it is surreal to think that merely a couple months ago I was anticipating my arrival to campus. Now, I am here and could not be more excited for the imminent experiences to come. Being here has allowed me to take full thought into what I want my future to look like and what it is that I want to pursue academically. Entering Columbia with my mind set on majoring in financial economics, I thought my mind was fixed on what I wanted to do with my life, who I wanted to become. I had no doubt that economics was for me, considering I thought it was the very essence of my interest. However, I have had a change in heart; economics is not something I would like to pursue throughout my four years at Columbia. This was definitely a profound change in mind; it was nothing I expected coming to college. I admit, I was distressed at the idea that I now do not know what it is that I want to pursue. However, I have now realized that PBKACA has given me the opportunity to retrieve this realization. Due to the scholarship awarded to me, I have the time to decide what it is that I want in life, what it is that I want to study. Of course, I am leaving open courses my following semester to make a decision—taking a political science and potentially an urban globalism course. However, none of this would be possible without PBKACA. This change in heart occurred because I did not have to focus my time on working, giving me the ability to truly discover myself academically. That, I am truly grateful for!
On the other hand, I am currently participating in Heights-to-Heights, a mentoring club aimed to assist students in developing their English skills. I was assigned a mentee who emigrated from the Dominican Republic a couple months ago. My mentee is a Spanish-only speaker, and it is difficult for me to see him struggling with understanding the lectures given during the program. However, I realized that I am ultimately making a difference in this child’s life, not only by being his mentor but also his friend: someone he can confide in and trust. Being a part of this club has enhanced my notion on the importance of receiving an education; it should be an essential part of everyone’s lives and something everyone should be open to.
Once again, my freshman year has been, by far, amazing. Exploring New York City has definitely been an integral part in my experience. Going to Broadway shows, walking around Times Square, eating out, or simply going to class (especially my fun theatre class), conglomerate to describe my experience. Much of this, though, would not be as is without PBKACA; it has removed a huge financial burden off my back, allowing me to not only enjoy my time here at Columbia but also allowing me to find myself.
Thank you!
Juan Carlos Castrejon
PBKACA 2013 Scholarship Recipient
Update from Sana Iqbal, our 2011 Scholarship Recipient
November 2013
Dear PBKACA,
With more than half of my undergraduate career completed, I am happy to report that with the thoughtful financial contributions from Phi Beta Kappa, I have been able to get the most out of my time as a student. My classes and my extracurricular activities have allowed me to gain a better understanding of my interests and my future career plans.
One of the many advantages of attending Loyola University Chicago is that as a liberal arts university, Loyola opens its doors to a wide array of academic areas of knowledge. Although I started as a student of biology on a pre-medical track, after taking courses that skewed away from the natural sciences I realized I did not want to limit my focus on courses such as physics and chemistry. I experimented with classes in my second year and discovered my interest in history, which encouraged me to add it as a second major. In fact, my favorite class this semester is the History of the Holocaust and Twentieth Century Genocide, which taught me that because genocide is something so prevalent in the contemporary era, we have so much yet to learn about humanity.
While I’m greatly enjoying my courses on campus, the experience is no different outside the classroom. This summer, I interned as a research assistant at the University of Chicago Medical Center’s Biological Sciences Department. I joined a team of several researchers and assisted them with research on the Hospitalist Project, an ongoing study at UCMC that aims to improve the quality of care of hospitalized patients along with the cost of hospital care. Working on this study allowed me to gain insight on healthcare in action, further reinforcing my passion to become a medical doctor.
My classes at Loyola as well as my research experience from UCMC has been a fascinating and rewarding learning experience that is an essential part of attaining a holistic undergraduate education. I am very grateful for the generous support from the Phi Beta Kappa and the ambition it has instilled in me to explore and pursue my dreams.
Sincerely,
Sana Iqbal
PBKACA 2011 Scholarship Recipient
Uptown Architecture Tour Photos
July 2013
In July, PBKACA member and Chicago Architecture Foundation docent Robin Simon led Phi Betes and guests on the 4th annual PBKACA architecture tour. The group explored Uptown, Chicago’s most diverse neighborhood.
Acing the Business of Tennis Photos
July 2013
In July, PBKACA “served” up a special conversation with Jon Vegosen, a Phi Bete and the 2011-2012 chairman of the board and president of the United States Tennis Association. He discussed how the USTA has “reinvented” tennis to become user friendly and attract a whole new generation of players from diverse backgrounds.
Help Us Expand the Scholarship Program
June 2013
We are proud to help gifted and idealistic young persons from Chicago Public Schools pursuing higher education with a $5,000 scholarship from our Association.
Read about our scholarship recipients »With your help, we can continue and expand this program. We want to be able to renew funding for winners through all four years of college if their grades and recommendations support our contribution. To be able to do this, we need to add to our current scholarship account and to build our PBKACA Endowment to at least $500,000 for this permanent funding.
We ask that all key holders give whatever they can afford to help these exceptional students. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.
You may donate by downloading and print the donation form (.pdf) and send a check made payable to the PBKACA Scholarship Fund directly to our P.O. Box 641121, Chicago, IL 60664-1121. You can also make a donation online now by clicking on the PayPal button below.
We have a professional in our organization who can meet with you personally to discuss these matters. Please contact Judi Strauss-Lipkin at jstrausslipkin@gmail.com or (312) 988-9996.
One hundred percent of contributions are used to fund the scholarships. Phi Beta Kappa Chicago is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible and every donation will receive an acknowledgement for your tax records.
Announcing our 2013 Scholarship Recipient—Juan Castrejon
June 2013
Juan Castrejon, a senior at Edwin G. Foreman High School, has been awarded the 2013 PBKACA Scholarship. First in his graduating class, Juan has participated in a number of extracurricular activities, including both National and Hispanic Honor Societies and the University of Chicago Young Scholars Program for Mathematically Talented Youth. He will be a freshman at Columbia University in the fall and plans to major in financial economics.
His counselor describes him as having an inspirational and positive spirit. Juan’s own words illustrate this spirit: “I hope to set an example for many of the people around me. I want to be the individual that allows others to believe in themselves and fathom that success is possible if one strives and devotes themselves to their goals.”
We are delighted to help this intelligent and determined young man to achieve his own goals.
Juan provided PBKACA with the following letter (download the .pdf):
Dear PBKACA,
Coming from a community where education is not placed on a high pedestal, I initially found it difficult to commit to my academics. Fortunately, I have always possessed an inherent drive to learn, to retrieve knowledge. That innate motivation has allowed me to graduate at the top of my class at Foreman High School and has led me to where I will be attending this fall: Columbia University in the City of New York.
When I reflect on my past four years of high school, I come to realize how strenuous it was to plan for my future. I did not know where I wanted to go or who I wanted to become. Although my family members made it obvious that they cared about my future, it was difficult for them to understand my situation in the academic sense. Therefore, I felt alone. That was when I decided to join a plethora of extracurricular activities, ranging from the Academic Decathlon to volunteering at my neighborhood hospital. Exploring various activities and academic disciplines allowed me to discover myself in both the academic and career-related aspects. Now, I am committed to majoring in Financial Economics.
Receiving this scholarship, though, has allowed me to realize that I am not alone. There are organizations like Phi Beta Kappa that truly care for the academic success of students. Because of this prestigious scholarship, I will be able to eliminate a huge financial burden and focus 100-percent on my academics at Columbia. While attending the institution, I will be able to gain a great education not only in business but also in the liberal arts. Reading classic literature, studying art and music, taking core science courses, and gaining a good understanding of the business world will allow me to understand my surroundings in a completely new perspective. With such education, I will be able to connect with individuals from various academic backgrounds.
Once again, it is truly an honor to receive this award. It will allow me to focus on my academics and engross myself into the Columbia community, giving me the opportunity to explore my passions in greater depth. I could not be more excited for the imminent events I am set to experience.
With sincere gratitude,
Juan Castrejon
Welcome new Phi Betes!
June 2013
PBKACA welcomes the newest key holders inducted at Chicago-area colleges and universities this spring! View photos »
PBK student chapters in the Chicago area are:
- Lake Forest College
- Loyola University Chicago
- Northwestern University
- Rockford University
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- Valparaiso University
2013 Update from Zobia Chunara, our 2012 Scholarship Recipient
Dear PBKACA,
My first year at Yale passed by quickly, with many highs and lows, self-discoveries, new friends, and late nights spent studying. To say the least, my first year at Yale was difficult and challenging, yet rewarding.
In the beginning, the adjustment to college was a great one, since I had never been away from my family for such a long period of time. Class work quickly multiplied as I was getting settled into the college lifestyle. I found myself missing home and wondering why I had taken such a risk to come to Yale. After a grueling first semester, I was tired and worn out, ready to go home.
It wasn’t until I went home for winter break that I realized that I missed Yale. Yale had become my home, and I hadn’t even realized it. After spending time with my family and reevaluating what was most important to me, I went back to Yale with new goals and a different attitude altogether. My friend group solidified, and I had developed relationships with people I could count on. I knew what my professors expected in my classes, and was able to do better in my academics. Finally, I made time for extracurriculars such as the Yale Journal of Public Health and the Asian American Student Association at Yale. I ended the second semester with a proud sense of accomplishment, and with a greater feeling that Yale was my second home.
After my first year in college, I have decided that I will complete the pre-med requirements for medical school while double majoring in Spanish and Biology.
This summer 2013, I secured a fellowship that is allowing me to do research at Yale. I am currently doing research on pulmonary hypertension at the Yale School of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Department. In addition, every Saturday I volunteer with the Free New Haven Clinic (FNHC). FNHC is for patients who do not have medical insurance but need medical attention. These patients come to the clinic on Saturdays, but virtually all of them do not speak English, and there is a great need for interpreters. I help out at the clinic by using my Spanish and Hindi/Urdu speaking abilities to translate between doctors and patients. I hope to continue volunteering even next year!
I would like to thank the PBKACA for awarding me their scholarship last year. Because of their belief in me, and their generous contribution to my education, I was able to attend my freshman year at Yale without having to worry about the financial burdens it would create for my family. I hope that in the future, I too can help students attend college and give back what PBKACA gave me.
Zobia Chunara
Yale University, Class of ’16
Christie Hefner and Scott Turow Conversation
May 2013
PBKACA hosted an exclusive conversation between two leading Chicagoans who are not only Phi Betes, but good friends as well. Christie Hefner, business leader, and Scott Turow, attorney and author, shared their thoughts on the criminal justice system, politics, publishing, and creativity.
PBKACA mourns Dawn Clark Netsch
March 2013
“Knowledgeable. Witty. Stubborn. Fearless.” These were some of the words used at the memorial service to describe the late Dawn Clark Netsch, a groundbreaking politician, Phi Bete, and a good friend to PBKACA. She passed away on March 5, 2013.
Member Barbara Jones featured in the Key Reporter
February 2013
The Key Reporter’s website features an interview of PBKACA member, book group regular, and recent salon host Barbara Jones. Barbara talks about her fascinating work at the American Library Association and makes the case for being an active member of your local PBK association. The interview is conducted by our president, Judi Strauss-Lipkin.
PBKACA mourns Daniel Edelman
January 2013
Daniel Edelman was a PBKACA Living Treasure Award winner, and for many years, he was the sponsor for our annual dinners held at the Casino. Our condolences to the Edelman family.
PBKACA named the “Best Mid-Sized Association”
August 2012
Big news to report from the PBK Triennial Conference in August 2012: Our association received the National Society’s award for Best Mid-Sized Association!
Many thanks to our dedicated and talented members who made the award possible.
Announcing our 2011 Scholarship Recipient—Sana Iqbal
PBKACA is proud to announce our 2011 PBKACA Scholarship recipient, Sana Iqbal. Sana provided PBKACA with the following letter (download the .pdf):
Dear PBKACA Scholarship Committee,
In 2001, when I was a curious 7-year-old girl, I sat on a plane that brought me to the United States, the land of opportunities. As I write this letter to the Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship Committee, I can sincerely admit that there are in fact many opportunities for those who wish to succeed. However, attaining them requires hard work, perseverance, and most importantly motivation.
As an immigrant from Pakistan, coming to Chicago felt like I was entering a whole new world. Although my parents had stable jobs in Pakistan, they knew America offered world-class education for their children. I watched them abandon their dreams so my siblings and I could achieve ours. In a plunging economy, they began working late hours, sometimes even two jobs. Seeing them work so hard, I knew I wanted to grow up to live a comfortable life where I could pay them back. Education was the key. That was when I developed my passion for learning. I enrolled into the International Baccalaureate Programme at Nicholas Senn High School. Surrounded by students who I now call my second family, I challenged myself to take college leveled courses while writing long papers and participating in numerous community service projects around Chicago. There, I discovered my passion for the sciences, especially biology because of its relevance to the human body and our everyday lives. Within four years, I transformed into a well-rounded, motivated student, graduating as valedictorian of Senn’s class for 2011.
With the help of PBKACA, this fall I will take my enthusiasm for learning to Loyola University Chicago. I listed myself as an undecided major in their liberal arts college. This is because there are various subjects within the sciences that interest me. I would like to study them before I chose one as a major to become an expert on. Additionally, IB has allowed me to have international-mindedness. Because of this, I enjoy learning about different cultures and religions. At Loyola, I plan to take advantage of the numerous courses offered to study Spanish and take part in religious studies.
After Loyola, I see myself going for further education in graduate school. I am determined to study science mostly because the field of medicine has always intrigued me. It would be my dream to be a part of it, whether I am a doctor or a scientist researching and making discoveries.
My parents always wanted to have their children grow up to live happy, successful lives, and I am determined to achieve that. I am certain that I possess many of the qualities that make a well-rounded college student. My capacity for learning is endless. With the support of my family and scholarships, I will be able to reach my goals that will not only make a difference in my life, but also in the lives I wish to change with my education and research.
Thanking you,
Sana Iqbal
Announcing our 2010 Scholarship Recipient—Merita Bushi
PBKACA is proud to announce our 2010 PBKACA Scholarship recipient, Merita Bushi, graduating this year from Northside College Prep High School.
mertabushiHer teachers and mentors have used many words to describe Merita: incisive intellect, productive, passionate, inquisitive, curious, independent thinker, balanced, humble, altruistic, and dedicated to family. She is an only child and the first in her Albanian family to be in America. Her first trip back to her mother’s home in a small village in Macedonia in the summer of 2006 cemented her goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist and created a dream of starting a small clinic there with basic, necessary medical services. She will be attending Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, a small liberal arts college where she can start on her pre-med track while obtaining a solid foundation of liberal arts, social sciences, psychology, and science courses.
Merita also has a bent towards politics, and she has been involved in the Mikva Challenge, a non-profit organization that seeks to foster civic leadership in Chicago high school youth. Through the program, she took a weeklong trip to New Hampshire to participate in the 2008 Presidential primary.
She readily admits that she came to high school as a timid, sheltered freshman. With challenging classes, she developed her intellect. Through the Mikva challenge, she learned about community involvement and political activism. Her teachers and her principal, Barry Rodgers, helped her develop her time management and leadership skills as well as her focused career motivations.
In short, Merita is a young person of remarkable intellect with a down-to-earth personal presence whom we expect in a few years to earn her PBK key!
In December 2010, Merita provided PBKACA with the following letter (download the .pdf to see the photos that accompany the letter):
Dear PBKACA Scholarship Committee,
As I sit down to tell you about my amazing first semester at Macalester College, the one thing that didn’t cross my mind too often over the semester was the financial burden of college. That’s because this scholarship allowed me to enjoy and fully immerse myself in what Macalester and St. Paul had to offer without finances holding me back. This scholarship also allowed me a head start on my savings so that by the time I graduate, I can repay my loans with a little more ease. Some friends that I’ve made at Macalester had to decide whether they would forgo the opportunities Macalester had to offer for a cheaper state school. I cannot express in words how grateful I am that I haven’t had to deal with this type of dilemma. I’ll try to explain why that type of decision would be so hard by telling you about how I spent my first semester at Macalester.
My first week at Macalester was jam-packed with orientation activities/events, new names and faces, and parents everywhere. We were all exhausted by the end of the week and before we knew it, it was time for classes to start. September was a major transitioning month. Classes were structured differently, dorms were a new experience, and there were so many new clubs to try out.
This semester I had one large lecture class (with about 40 students), a medium sized introductory class, and two smaller classes (with about 15 students). Most of the classes (even the lecture class) provided an intimate experience with professors who were always available (and this sometimes included the weekends, too!). Sometimes I would go to office hours to introduce myself to professors and end up sitting for an hour talking about a wide range of topics. The professors’ love for their subject is evident in their teaching styles and most professors are actively involved in the campus (which is invaluable for such a small campus). One of the harder things about college classes is the differences in pace, course load, and grades. In high school, when teachers said that one year of an AP course is equivalent to a semester, they weren’t exaggerating. The reason the course load seems to be more difficult is because the classes move at such a quick pace. In particular, the amount of readings seemed exponentially larger than in high school. Coming from four high school years during which I thought I had developed strong time management skills, I still found myself staying up later than I expected to on some nights. The course load is also difficult because every assignment is given a higher value. There isn’t any “busy work” in college, so that makes a large part of grades dependent on exams and large papers. Despite this, I found it refreshing to be in a learning environment where people are motivated by knowledge, not grades, and are more willing to collaborate with research instead of competing with each other.
This different environment might be the result of the college environment in general. Most people say that when you go to college, you learn to live independently. While that may have some truth, I think that I would describe my experience more as learning to live with so many peers. In college, you live only a few feet away from your friends and classmates. It makes it so easy to schedule meetings or to just sit and talk. A sense of community is formed almost instantly. And this community isn’t artificially created. When I left this past Friday, some of my goodbyes to people who I’ve only known for four months were as hard as my goodbyes to friends in August.
While a strong community is formed and many of us joke about living in the “Mac bubble,” the college offers many opportunities for us to interact with those working outside of the immediate area. There are speakers, both known and unknown, hosted weekly. One highlight was in early October when Macalester hosted VP Joe Biden, Senators Franken and Klobuchar, the Twin Cities’ mayors, and a few other political figures in a rally for governor-elect Mark Dayton. Many organizations also bring speakers to campus or host trips to various locations in the Twin Cities. I remember doing some campaign work in the local area (which is much different than in Chicago!) and volunteering with MaCCARES (Macalester Conservation and Renewable Energy Society) on 10/10/10, the international day of climate action. I’m also very excited to be a freshman representative on Macalester’s student government (MCSG). This position has allowed me to get to know my class, understand how the college works, and make a difference within the school.
Macalester offers many resources, both institutional and through clubs, that have enabled me to explore a variety of disciplines. The projects I’ve partaken in this semester are in large part the result of the ease and availability with which Macalester provides them. This semester has been promising and makes me excited to explore new initiatives in the Spring. While I’m happy to be home and away from hip-high snow mounds, I can’t wait to go back and see what spring has in store for me.
Sincerely,
Merita Bushi
PBK Triennial Conference Wrap-Up
Winter 2009–10
The 2009 Phi Beta Kappa Triennial Council took place in Austin, Texas, in October, bringing together representatives from many of the chapters and associations across the country. Representing PBKACA were President Judi Strauss-Lipkin and Vice President Christopher Kopacz. Jules Gleicher, a PBKACA Executive Board member, represented Rockford College. Other local PBK chapters represented were: the University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The main business of the meeting was voting. The delegates elected the Society’s new president, Fred H. Cates, a law professor at Indiana University, and vice president, Katherine R. Soule, an administrator at Dartmouth College. The delegates also elected 11 new members to the PBK Senate. Greg Gocek was chosen to continue his role as chairperson of the East Central District, which includes Chicago.
The delegates also voted overwhelmingly to award charters to four universities that met PBK’s rigorous qualification standards: Butler University, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, Elon University, and James Madison University. The final set of votes involved a number of proposed amendments to the PBK constitution and bylaws.
The delegates also voted to recognize the late Judith Krug for her many contributions to the Society. Krug served as the Society’s vice president and was a former president of PBKACA.
The Triennial also provided some intellectual and social stimulation, including a visit to the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, and a banquet featuring speeches by two distinguished scholars. Delegates also had a chance to meet one another and share their ideas for improving the chapters and associations. Judi and Chris spent time with members of other active associations, including Houston, Northern and Southern California, as well as the Washington D.C. Association, which has a very active Young Professionals group.
Living Treasure Award: Abner Mikva
June 2009
A distinguished PBK key holder, Abner Mikva, was the recipient of this year’s Living Treasure Award. Mikva received the award at a reception at the Union League Club on Sunday, May 17.
Mikva has displayed the ideals of PBK through his many achievements as a U.S. Representative, federal judge, White House legal counsel, and most recently, an informal advisor to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
After receiving the Living Treasure Award, Mikva gave a thought-provoking speech entitled, “Presidents who are Lawyers: What a Difference it Makes.” Mikva argued that lawyers have many qualities that make them well-suited for the presidency, such as training to consider the nuances and variations of a given issue. Lawyers also understand that progress is made through leadership and negotiations. Mikva said, “I don’t necessarily think that all presidents should be lawyers. But I think that being a lawyer ought to be an advantage, and it ought to be something that a candidate for president should be able to brag about.”
During a lively question-and-answer period, Mikva commented on a variety of subjects, such as the Supreme Court vacancy and the problems with electing judges. Mikva said he recently wrote to President Obama regarding the Supreme Court appointment and urged him to select someone with political experience in order to broaden the range of experiences among the justices. Mikva observed, “I always noted how much narrower my point of view was…when I was a judge as compared to when I was a congressman.”
In Memory: Miriam Pollyea
January 2009
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Miriam Pollyea, a longtime PBKACA board member, chair of the PBKACA Book Club, and recipient of a special tribute award at the 2007 PBKACA annual meeting. Miriam passed away on Jan. 22, 2009, at the age of 94. Our condolences go to all those who mourn in her passing, especially her family: her children, Susan and Edward; her siblings; and her grandson, Daniel, a fellow Phi Bete who came with his grandmother to several PBKACA annual dinners.
The members of her book group family offered their thoughts:
“Our February meeting will be tinged with sadness as our thoughts turn to our dear friend and devoted group leader Miriam Pollyea. Miriam brought to each meeting much more than her great organizational skills; she brought her remarkable insights and sharp analytic skills, and her wisdom, often in the form of fascinating stories drawn from her own varied experiences. But above all, she brought her kindness and warmth and deep concern for each of us. We have lost a special friend. We will miss her very much.”
Announcing 2008 Scholarship Recipient—Kenneth Oshita
Based on the enthusiastic recommendation of the PBKACA Scholarshp Committee, the Executive Board has chosen Kenneth H. Oshita as the recipient of our 2008-09award of $5,000. Kenneth, 18, has completed the International Baccalaureate Program at Lincoln Park High School and will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall.
Interested in every subject from physics to philosophy, Kenneth has a nearly straight-A transcript at Lincoln Park, where he also played saxophone in the school band and was on the junior varsity tennis team. He volunteers at the National Runaway Switchboard as a peer counselor, and he has served as a counselor-aide at an annual summer camp for children with muscular dystrophy. Among his awards is a prize from the Veterans of Foreign Wars for an interpretative essay on the theme of democracy.
In the next phase of his education, Kenneth plans to major in physics, though he seeks studies that are “expansive and well balanced.” He hopes “to meet new people and to be exposed to different points of view, to discover and try new things and to harbor [his] independence and sense of self.” The committee members were impressed as much by his reflective maturity as by his budding philosophical depth. “I suppose,” Kenneth writes, “that the same basic quality of imagination that it takes to conceive of wizards and dragons is the same as that which is necessary for understanding Einstein’s theory of relativity or even Newtonian mechanics. Physics reveals to us how imagination is ironically the key factor in understanding reality.”
The PBKACA Scholarship Committee, chaired by Emelda Estell and Michael Silverstein, worked closely with Danielle Cox-Jones, Scholarship Program Manager of the Office of High School Programs and the Chicago Public Schools in distributing and collecting information and applications to each Chicago public high school. Award recipients are selected based on academic achievements, leadership ability/ extracurricular activities as well as financial need.
Announcing our 2007 Scholarship Recipient—Dominique Barron
PBKACA is proud to announce that Dominique Barron of Walter Payton College Prep High School is the 2007 recipient of the $5,000 PBKACA College Scholarship. This fall, Dominique will attend Georgetown University with a major in international relations. Dominique hopes to become a lawyer and work with international clients. In that way, she can combine her interests in the law and business administration to help corporations improve their international business marketing.
An honors student, Dominique scored in the top 5 percent of students across the nation who took the ACT. Aside from her academic achievements, her principal and teachers have described her as an extremely well rounded, committed and motivated scholar — “a remarkable young lady.” At Payton, she is the president of Payton for Hope, a group that she helped to found that fundraises for the American Cancer Society. As a member of student government, she helped organize a book drive to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. The book drive was a success, with over 700 books collected from students and local bookstores.
Dominique hopes to continue her work in the community and says that she would like to help build a community center for underprivileged children. The center, Dominique explains, would “foster activities geared towards helping such students excel in sports, the visual and performing arts and academics.”
In her spare time, Dominique has been taking flute lessons for seven years. She has participated in the Sherwood Conservatory Summer Flute Institute and auditioned for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Protégé Philharmonic.
The PBKACA College Scholarship — now in its second year — is awarded based on academic achievements, leadership abilities, extracurricular activities and financial need. Applications were distributed to each Chicago public high school, and the number of applicants nearly doubled from last year’s total. Five finalists were selected and interviewed by the PBKACA Scholarship Committee, which is chaired by Board members Emelda Estell and Michael Silverstein. The Committee also works closely with Danielle Cox-Jones, Scholarship Program Manager of the Office of High School Programs for the Chicago Public Schools.
PBKACA also awarded $500 each to PBK initiates at several Chicago-area chapters. Congratulations to the following students: David Malec, Lake Forest College.
PBKACA Awards First College Scholarship
PBKACA is proud to announce that Ramon Lee of Lincoln Park High School is the recipient of the first $5,000 PBKACA College Scholarship. Ramon will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign starting this fall with the goal of “being a doctor when I am 40.” Not a suburban doctor, but a member of Doctors without Borders, where he will have administered health care to people from every corner of the world- from the jungles of Panama to the beaches of the Philippines. He wants to heal patients physically, but “by creating strong bonds with my patients, I will heal their spirits as well.”
Ramon is the middle of three children. His parents came to Chicago in 1985. He foresees future study in both math and science with a liberal arts presence. His principal and counselor at Lincoln Park High see him as “appropriately self confident and a straight-out genuine force, with an upbeat spirit and a strong sense of community and family.”
The PBKACA Scholarship Committee (chaired by Emelda Estell and Jon Miller) worked closely with Danielle Cox-Jones, Scholarship Program Manager of the Office of High School Programs, and Chicago Public Schools in distributing and collecting information and applications and criteria to each CPS High School. The committee reviewed all candidates and interviewed four outstanding students for this award. Judi Strauss-Lipkin and Emelda Estell attended the CPS Scholarship Recognition Program at the CPS Board Meeting on May 24 where PBKACA was recognized as a new participant in the CPS Scholarship Family. The Association now joins other scholarship providers such as the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, the United Negro College Fund, the Golden Apple, Shore Bank and the Posse Foundation. A total of $11,269,200 in Scholarships was awarded to outstanding CPS seniors.
PBKACA is committed to continuing and expanding these scholarship awards. If you wish to make a donation in support of the scholarship, you may send a check to PBKACA, PO Box 64-2622, Chicago, IL 60664-2622, indicating Scholarship Fund in the note space on your check. We will also be accepting donations on our website in the near future.
In addition to the Chicago Public Schools $5,000 Scholarship Award, the Executive Committee approved giving $500 awards to PBK initiates at member chapters this spring. Congratulations to the following recipients Barbara Ouderkerk (UIC), Umair Jabbar (Loyola University Chicago), John Luporini (Lake Forest College), Alexis Joanna DiSilvertro (Valparaiso). No awards were given at Northwestern University or the University of Chicago, but both anticipate giving such an award in 2007.