Over 100 of Chicago’s successful rising college freshmen will be awarded college trunks for overcoming adversity to pursue a post-secondary education at the Revie Sorey Trunk Scholarship Celebration, hosted by Ada S. McKinley Community Services, at the South Shore Cultural Center, July 26, 6:00 – 7:15 PM.
Now in its 15th year, the Revie Sorey Trunk Scholarship provides students with laptops, learning materials, living essentials, dorm supplies and technology to help them succeed in their first year of college. The scholarship recipients were selected based on their profound essays, which answered the question “Why Obtaining a Postsecondary Education Is Important to Me.” You can read this year’s winning essays here: https://www.adasmckinley.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-Essay-Winners-Finalists-Trunk-Scholarships.pdf
The winners and their families will join the celebrations when they pick up their trunks from 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM at the South Shore Cultural Center at 7059 S South Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60649.
“As an organization committed to empowering our communities, we understand the importance of investing in young students that have faced systemic barriers and challenges,” said Jamal Malone, CEO of Ada S. McKinley Community Services. “We want to ensure that the next generation of college students has the tools necessary to succeed,” he added. “A college degree can translate to on average over $1 million more of lifetime earnings
Also in attendance will be Torrence Hinton, President of People’s Gas and North Shore Gas, who is alumni of Ada S. McKinley’s College Preparation and Placement Program. Hinton cites the support from Ada S. McKinley’s program as the launching pad of his academic and career success.
The Revie Sorey Trunk Scholarships are an important extension of Ada S. McKinley’s acclaimed College Preparation & Placement Program, which has placed more than 75,000 youth in more than 400 colleges and universities throughout the United States. The scholarship program is named in honor of former Ada S. McKinley division director and Chicago Bear, Revie Sorey, who launched the Trunk Scholarship program over a decade ago building upon the legacy of the legendary Silas Purnell. This year Ada S. McKinley has helped align college bound students over $13 million in college scholarships with a 100% college placement rate.
About Ada S. McKinley Community Services
Ada S. McKinley Community Services is one of Chicago’s largest, most respected and impactful Human Services organizations. Serving more than 7,000 people annually at over 70 program sites in the Chicago metropolitan area, Wisconsin and Indiana, Ada S. McKinley Community Services’ wide-ranging programs fall under the umbrellas of child development and youth, employment and community support, and behavioral health and clinical. The 104-year old nonprofit was founded during the Spanish Flu Pandemic with a mission to serve African American World War I veterans who were denied government services, and to help southern families fleeing to Chicago during the Great Migration. The organization’s mission is to empower, educate and employ people to change lives and strengthen communities.
