ACI Scholar: Mayra Quea, Trinity Christian College
Just Announced: ACI PROLIFIC Fellows Named
ACI Hosts Micro-Internship Program Webinar with Parker Dewey
New ACI Website Update
ACI Strategic Working Group Formed to Help Strategic Direction
ACI Awarded Scholarship Challenge Grant
From ACI Corporate Partner Sikich
ACI Fiscal Year 2024 Fall Scholarship Distribution
Your Gift: The Power to Shape Mayra Quea's Journey and Countless Others
I recently read an article that coined the phrase “courageous compassion.” It struck me how very important those words are for all of us to embrace not only for our nation, but also for the many student stories we know of that do not have simple outcomes. Let’s face it, life is messy.
All stories are not those of success. By far, most define a struggle, a hardship, or even a loss.
To me, courageous compassion is really about showing up each and every day in a complex world regardless of whether the odds are in our favor or not.
Not all experiences are perfect nor as easily quantifiable as people desire them to be, but they still matter. Many times, imperfection teaches us something more powerful than a perfect outcome ever could.
The students whom Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) supports do not come from privileged households. More than forty percent of ACI scholars are first generation and thirty-eight percent identify as persons of color.They should have smaller classroom sizes to thrive, and personal attention to grow. This is an opportunity readily found at any one of ACI’s 25 member schools.
Your courageous compassion is relied on to help our member school students graduate. Because of you, students persist as best they can.
Regardless of how tidy their outcomes are or aren’t, it is clear that personal determination and success on varying levels matter even when life is messy and not what we anticipate. We need to care about helping students create their life path, graduate, get employed, and obtain the financial stability they need to build a better world.
In this month of gratitude and giving, I challenge you to demonstrate “courageous compassion” in your own way. Perform an act of kindness. Be the person you wanted in your life for someone else. Volunteer. Donate. Whatever you do, pay it forward. Make something or someone better.
Trinity Christian College McGraw Foundation Student Emergency Assistance Fund
Mayra Quea came to the United States as a child from Peru with her parents. Her background led to an interest in learning about diverse cultures and perspectives. That is one of the reasons why she chose to major in history at Trinity Christian College, with a pre-law minor. For Quea, learning about various cultures closely relates to her interest in law.
Mayra is a first-generation college student living with her parents in Northbrook, Illinois. A junior, Quea says a friend invited her to Trinity Christian College. God was calling her to Trinity Christian, Quea says, adding she could see herself at the campus café, taking classes, and living in a dorm on campus. “It was a push or a nudge in the right direction,” she says.
The ACI PROLIFIC Fellowship for Athletes, funded by Fiducient Advisors, is taking center stage in groundbreaking initiatives by redefining possibilities for Illinois’ student-athletes. ACI’s partnership with this innovative program, led by The Prolific Institute, is reshaping the future by fostering creativity and excellence. It's heartening to see how these visionary fellows are making strides in pushing the boundaries of our industry. Stay tuned for more updates on their incredible journey!
The first cohort is composed of ten senior student athletes representing six ACI member institutions across a variety of sports. Read more about the first cohort of ACI PROLIFIC Fellows here.
At right: The Prolific Institute Founder and Managing Partner Nosa Eguae with Judson University student-athlete De’Havion Allen.
ACI Hosts Micro-Internship Program Webinar with Parker Dewey
ACI is excited to highlight an innovative way for you to connect with our highly-motivated students and recent grads. Micro-Internships are short-term, paid professional projects designed to serve as a bridge to future employment opportunities.
Please join us and representatives from Parker Dewey for 30 minutes on Wednesday, November 15th at 12:30pm CT to hear:
an overview on how Micro-Internships work,
examples of the types of projects students can complete, and
how these short-term projects create equitable access to professional careers in our community.
Whether you're in need of on-demand project support, looking for a win-win to connect with students from your alma mater, or looking for ways to get work done with an ever-growing to-do list, Micro-Internships are a valuable tool. This demo and walkthrough will show how this scalable concept supports your organization as well as our students and recent grads.
We're thrilled to announce the launch of ACI's revamped website, made possible through funding from the Council of Independent Colleges. We aim to enhance user experience, showcasing our commitment to educational excellence. Here's what you can expect:
Intuitive Navigation: Find information quickly and efficiently.
Enhanced Accessibility: Improved text size, modern fonts, and colors for more straightforward navigation.
Student Spotlights: Discover inspiring stories of those we support.
Detailed Program Insights: Explore our Peer Mentoring Program, scholarships, and partnerships.
Interactive Media: Engaging visuals and resources to understand ACI's impact.
New Member and Employment Data: Updated data points to provide insights into the impact that ACI member schools are creating for students as well as their communities.
This website launch is just one of our ongoing initiatives to provide a better platform for students, colleges, and others to see ACI as a resource. We remain committed to ensuring student success in college, careers, and life. Your continued support is instrumental in elevating the value of independent liberal arts and sciences education.
Click here to explore the site and here to share your feedback. Your insights are invaluable as we aim to create an effective communication tool for our stakeholders.
Development of the new site was led by ACI's web management team at Xcelacore and John R. Brooks, ACI Director of Communication.
NOTE:
With heartfelt warmth and profound gratitude, we celebrate the closing chapter of John's eight-year journey with ACI. Throughout this time, John has shone as an invaluable teammate, a wise mentor, and a steadfast champion of ACI’s mission. His dedication in stewarding communications and ensuring that our message resonates with the right audiences has been extraordinary.
Thank you, John, for your many contributions. You have our deepest and most sincere thanks. We look forward to your continued friendship and wish you every success and happiness forward on your new path.
ACI Strategic Working Group Formed to Help Set Strategic Priorities
ACI recently convened a Strategic Working Group to provide Executive Director April Arnold and the ACI Board of Trustees with the necessary insights to help the organization pivot in response to the challenges and needs facing higher education. The committee has met twice to create a framework to guide ACI’s goals over the next two years to best support member schools and the students they serve.
ACI Strategic Working Group Members:
Gene Crume (Judson University)
Daniel Dobbins (McKendree University)
S. Georgia Nugent (ACI President, Illinois Wesleyan University)
Andrea Talentino (Augustana College)
Jamel Wright (Eureka College)
Bob DiMeo (Fiducient Advisors)
Lyn Bulman (ACI Chair, Board of Directors)
Leah Wallace (ret. Citi)
Ruben Abarca (CorpEd Partners)
Chris Miceika (PNC)
Brian Powers (TTX)
April Arnold (ACI Executive Director)
David Schreier (consultant)
Stay tuned for updates on the committee’s critical work.
ACI Awarded Scholarship Challenge Grant
The Council of Independent Colleges State Councils Scholarship Challenge Grant for 2023-2024 has been conditionally awarded to Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) in the amount of $25,000. This grant must be matched through new or renewed cash gifts or grants raised specifically to meet the challenge. Funds will support second year or higher student scholarship recipients in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Students must be enrolled at an ACI four-year member college or university. The intent of the grant program is to provide a marketable matching gift incentive to raise funds for student financial aid and attract new and renewed giving to the Council to broaden its donor base. Further details to follow. For more information, contact April Arnold at aarnold@acifund.org.
Foundations, Organizations, Individuals Support ACI Initiatives and Programs
Several foundations, organizations and individuals provide funds to ACI over the course of our fiscal year to help the organization fund its mission to support member colleges and universities "by advancing independent liberal arts and sciences education and helping underserved students succeed in college, career and life."
Since August 1, this organization awarded a grant to ACI:
$5,000, WILD Gives Back, NFP, for two Next Generation Women in Finance WILD Gives Back Scholarships
In addition, these individuals took part in ACI's monthly giving program or provided other gifts to ACI since August 1:
Angela Allen
Jim Applegate
Susy Best
John Brooks
Lyn Bulman
Don Campbell
Anthony LoBello
Bradley Summers
Please consider joining ACI’s monthly giving program to help students in need all year long. For more information, visit https://acifund.org/giving and select "monthly" or call Barbara Jolliff at 312-263-2391, ext. 5 for further assistance.
ACI gratefully recognizes the commitment of these foundations, individuals and organizations that contributed to our mission. THANK YOU!
From ACI Corporate Partner Sikich
In each edition of the ACI Reporter, we invite our corporate partners
to contribute higher education content to provide our readers with actionable intelligence and insights. In light of the tragic events that we see unfolding on college campuses nationwide, Matthew Doherty, Managing Director of the Workforce Risk Management, writes a piece about how schools can protect themselves from targeted violence.
Sikich offers a formula of professional services uniquely crafted to address your business’s challenges and opportunities. Our comprehensive skillsets, obtained over decades of experience as entrepreneurs, business owners and industry innovators, allow us to provide insights and transformative services to help strengthen every dimension of your business.
ACI Fiscal Year 2024 Fall Scholarships
All 25 ACI member schools received an FY24 Fall Scholarship Award Letter in early October 2023. Each member school was awarded the CIC/UPS Scholarship and McGraw Foundation Student Emergency Assistance Funding. Additionally, some campuses also received the Carole Whitcomb Scholarship or The Michele and Peter Willmott Fund for Minority Student Leadership Scholarship.
The total amount of funding awarded was $191,000. Financial aid officers at each campus have begun looking for eligible students for the awards. The FY24 Spring Scholarship Awards Letters are scheduled to be sent out in early March 2024.
Your Gift: The Power to Shape Mayra Quea's Journey and Countless Others
Imagine arriving in a new country as a child, dreams as big as the sky but the path unclear. That's exactly Mayra Quea's story. Thanks to generous supporters like you, Mayra is navigating her way through Trinity Christian College as a history major with a pre-law minor, aiming to make an impact in immigration law one day.
Do you recall that exhilarating moment when you realized the enormous impact of education? Your support has offered Mayra and others like her that same revelatory experience. Whether through career mentorship, emergency aid, or life-changing scholarships, you've turned uncertainty into opportunity for countless students.
Instead of statistics, let Mayra's words convey the influence of your generosity. "Receiving this ACI scholarship was a true blessing, and I’m super grateful for it because without this, I would not be here," says Mayra.
Can you think of a more meaningful return on your investment?
Will you be part of another life-altering story like Mayra's? Your gift is an opportunity for a brighter, more equitable future.
Donate by December 31st, and your gift will be doubled by ACI Trustee Don Campbell up to a cumulative total of $25,000 for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, extending the positive influence on deserving students like Maya.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: Student Success and Wellness Roundtable Conversation with Senior Student Affairs Officers, 2 p.m. via Zoom. Sponsored by Virtual Care Group
Friday, Dec. 8: Provosts Quarterly Conversation, 3:30 p.m. via Zoom
Wednesday, Dec. 13: Presidents Quarterly Conversation, 3:30 p.m. via Zoom
Augustana College - Aurora University - Blackburn College - Benedictine University - Dominican University Elmhurst University - Eureka College - Illinois College - Illinois Wesleyan University - Judson University
Knox College - Lewis University - McKendree University - Millikin University - Monmouth College
North Central College - North Park University - Olivet Nazarene University - Principia College - Quincy University
Rockford University- Saint Xavier University - Trinity Christian College - University of St. Francis - Wheaton College
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Gives Back Scholarship
