Waukegan High seniors celebrate college choices at Decision Day party; ‘This is a chance to honor their success’ – Chicago Tribune

Miguel Valdovinos, Kevin Antonio and Adrian Rojas are Waukegan High School seniors, the children of immigrants and the first members of their families to go to college. Valdovinos heads to Brown University in the fall, Antonio to Kalamazoo College and Rojas to Boston University.

All three said their scholarships made a “huge difference.”

Zipporah Brown is a Waukegan senior who lived with her family in a van on a church parking lot before the 10 of them moved into her grandmother’s house. She will attend Hofstra University in the fall on a full scholarship.

Valdovinos, Antonio, Rojas and Brown were among more than 270 Waukegan seniors out of a graduating class of 870 who spent their lunch hour at a Waukegan High School Decision Day party Friday at the high school’s Washington campus celebrating their college choices.

Each student wore a T-shirt which read, “I’m taking my talents to” on the top line, with room to write the name of their college choice beneath. There were a variety of schools, ranging from Brown, to Illinois State, to Vanderbilt University, to the College of Lake County.

Mel Goodman, a college and career counselor at the high school who helped organize the event, said this is the time high school seniors make their decisions known. Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 gave them a party during their lunch hour with food and music to celebrate the occasion.

“We want to give them this opportunity to congratulate themselves and each other,” Goodman said. “This is a chance to honor their success.”

Goodman said he spends time working with families to help parents overcome fears of sending their children to college. While advising them, one question he often asks is how far away from home is acceptable. In other situations, he explains how to apply for financial aid.

For Valdovinos, geography was not an issue. The class salutatorian ranking second among his peers academically said he made a decision to seek an Ivy League School as a junior. His parents were supportive and proud. He plans to study economics on a full scholarship.

“I’m excited and nervous,” he said. “I know it’s going to be a big change. I’m so thankful to my parents for everything they’ve done for me.”

Antonio said being a 90-minute train ride from home was one of the reasons he chose Kalamazoo. He plans to study aerospace engineering to become a “rocket scientist.”

Rojas said his effort to reach Boston University was a balancing act. He had to find time to tend to his studies and his job at Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee.

Brown, who has played the viola for 12 years, said she plans to study music at Hofstra and eventually become a professional classical musician. She has already developed a variety of life skills as one of 11 siblings, with eight still living with their parents and grandmother.

“There’s no selfishness. We take care of each other, and help each other,” Brown said. “There are a lot of late nights,” she added, referring to finding time for her studies. “There are times I’m up until 3 or 4 in the morning.”

Laila Furlow is a Waukegan senior heading to Alabama A&M. She said finding a historically Black college or university was important to her. She plans to study business and believes it will help her in her endeavor.

“I grew up in Waukegan which is a (majority) minority community, but most of the students are Hispanic,” Furlow said. “I want a college where people look like me, and have had the same experiences I’ve had. I’ll meet people who can help me.”

Evonnda Fulton, the coordinator of college and career readiness, said part of her job is explaining to parents different ways of applying for financial aid, taking students on college visits and bringing college representatives to campus who are representative of the student body.

“I want them to see other people who look like them and have been on the same pathway,” she said.