Catherine Newman is amazed at how her life has changed in a few short semesters. When she took her first calculus class at Harold Washington College (one of the City Colleges of Chicago), she had no great sense of direction or career goal. Like many students at the City Colleges, Newman’s education had been interrupted for one reason or another, and she considered herself a “non-traditional” student. But as her math skills improved at Harold Washington, Newman realized that solving problems built a sense of confidence. “I’ve studied math every day since that first calculus class,” said Newman. “And the confidence I’ve gained has extended into other areas of my life. I am amazed that this knowledge is now accessible to me. What seemed impossible yesterday seems almost ordinary today.”

Currently, Newman is a first-year Presidential Scholar at Illinois Institute of Technology [IIT], on her way to earning her bachelor’s degree and realizing her dream of becoming a math teacher. A recent partnership between CCC and IIT helped make Newman’s path to success possible. Newman is one of 26 City Colleges of Chicago [CCC] graduates who earned scholarships allowing them to transfer from City Colleges to IIT last fall. It’s called the Presidential Community College Scholarship program. Its purpose is to engage students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and psychology, business and architecture [STEM+] at every education level, from K-12 through community college and four-year institutions. The first cohort of 26 CCC students is now finishing their first year at IIT. Because of the tremendous initial success of the program, IIT and CCC are committed to working together to increase the 2nd cohort to 100 students enrolling in Fall, 2011, from the City Colleges.

For more information about applications and deadlines for the Presidential Scholars program, as well as other CCC/IIT scholarship opportunities, contact:

• Rosalind Henderson Harris, Executive Director, Academic Development, City Colleges of Chicago Academic Affairs – Liberal Arts, at 312-553-3281 or at rharris41@ccc.edu. Or,
• John “BJ” Engelhardt, Transfer Coordinator, Presidential Scholars Program, IIT, at 312-567-5727 or at jengelha@iit.edu.