COLLEGE TRANSITION Workshops
July 7 | MAKING YOUR MARK: Getting INVOLVED ON CAMPUS
MADELINE MORTELL
Current Wentcher Scholar attending University of Wisconsin, 2018 Graduate of Whitney Young HS
Madeline is a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison studying Marketing and earning certificates in Dance, Digital Studies, and Spanish for Business. Over the past three years at UW, she has loved being involved in various organizations on campus, including Women in Business, Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and Performing Ourselves. Over the next couple of months, she is working as a virtual intern with Aon and is hoping to enjoy summertime in Chicago!
NNAEMEKA NWANKPA
Current Wentcher Scholar attending Cornell University, 2018 Graduate of Kenwood Academy
Nnaemeka Nwankpa, Meka, is a rising senior majoring in Economics with an intended minor in Global Health. He is currently active on campus as the President Emeritus of Black Students United, VP of Alumni Relations for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a member of BlackGen Capital, a minority-owned investment fund at Cornell. He is passionate about giving back to his community, fashion, finance, and exploring the unknown. He is currently a Financial Analyst Intern with Johnson & Johnson focused on Strategy and Consolidation. Don’t be afraid to reach out to him via any form of contact whether you go to Cornell or not!
JULY 13 | YOU BELONG: LEARNING COLLEGE AS A FIRST GENERATION STUDENT
You belong. You belong. You belong. Jessica and Andre share their experiences as first generation college students and answer your questions about making the transition and thriving in college.
JESSICA CRIOLLO
Wentcher Scholar Alumna, 2019 Graduate of Loyola University Chicago, 2015 Graduate of Lake View HS
Jessica holds a degree in Public Relations and Advertising at Loyola University Chicago. She has 4+ years of experience in the education, technology, health and wellness, and non-profit sector doing a variety of working ranging from public relations all the way to traditional marketing. Additionally, Jessica continues giving back to her community by volunteering in Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) as a Big where she mentors youth.
Jessica is currently responsible for leading marketing efforts to align with the strategic vision of Cohesion, a building solutions firm and manages all their marketing collateral, social media content, and digital marketing efforts. Prior to Cohesion, Jessica held roles at Gensler, Walker Sands, and Greeley and Hansen, all very well-known companies where she handled multiple projects.
ANDRE TAYLOR
Current Wentcher Scholar attending UIUC. 2018 Graduate of George Westinghouse HS.
Andre is a Senior at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Majoring in Animal Science with a concentration of pre-vet medicine. Currently he is working under one of the professors in his degree department in their diary-focus trail. He will assist another professor with their study on cow-human interaction that will be presented to Arm and Hammer.
In Andre’s free time, he also works for the school university dining hall, and volunteers at local animal shelters and clinics. He also volunteers at local homeless shelters . Eventually, we would like to pesue his mater’s degree in Animal Behavior.
July 19 | HELP IS ON THE WAY: FINDING AND USING ACADEMIC RESOURCES ON CAMPUS
Wentcher Alum, Stephany Baca shares her tips and guidance on getting all the support and resources you need on campus.
STEPHANY BACA
Wentcher Scholar alumna. 2019 Graduate of Lake Forest College, 2015 Graduate of Senn HS.
Stephany was a first-generation Mexican undergraduate student and is now a first-generation college graduate student. She attended Lake Forest College and graduated in 2019. I majored in Psychology and Spanish and a minor in History. She is pursuing her master’s in Soicial Work at Dominican University, and works as a Member Relations Specialist at the McGaw YMCA. She is interested in focusing on military social work or health and wellness. She loves learning and is very excited to try new things.
JULY 28 | DORM LIFE: WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU MOVE TO CAMPUS
Hear from experienced RA’s (that’s Resident Advisers/Assistants!) about what to expect in on-campus housing.
NIA HARRIS
Wentcher Scholar Alumna. 2020 Graduate of New York University. 2016 Graduate of Whitney Young HS
Nia is a recent graduate of NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences. In her studies, she concentrated on community development of marginalized groups through education reform and how to integrate different modes of storytelling in academic settings. With a commitment to student development on campus, she worked as a Resident Assistant for two years. Currently, she works as the Program Associate for the Wentcher Foundation, and next year, she will begin her fellowship as J. William Fulbright Scholar, where she will be teaching students in Kenya to create their own publication.
These workshops are optional and intended for New Wentcher Scholars, please click the link below to register and receive Zoom links: