February 2021 Ángel L. Vélez

Ángel L. Vélez (CHI’21), doctoral candidate in EPOL and OCCRL research associate, was recently featured in an NBC News story on Racism Within Racial Diversity. Vélez explains the danger of…

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February 2021 Nina Sanchez

Nina Sanchez (CHI’17) was selected as part of Chicago magazine’s 30 “New Power 30,” highlighting her transformational, equity-centered work as Director of Enrich Chicago.

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February 2021 Will Collins

Will Collins, VP of Development & External Affairs and 2017 Surge Chicago Alum, was recently announced as an inaugural member of the 2021 Black Bench Chicago Fellowship. The Black Bench…

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January 2021 Jessica Cañas

Jessica Cañas (CHI’21) has been promoted to Assistant Director of Education at Enlace Chicago, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Little Village Residents in Chicago.

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January 2021 Lydia Mercer

2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Lydia Mercer, has launched The (Un)Learning Space. In this space, (Un)learning refers to the process of recognizing and addressing our implicit biases. Through a process rooted…

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January 2021 Destiny Ortega

2020 Surge Chicago Alum, Destiny Ortega, has been promoted to Associate Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, a non-profit consulting organization that works on high-impact projects with government agencies in the…

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January 2021 Allissa Impink

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Indiana announced an exciting staff addition late last year, bringing on local education leader Allissa Impink to serve as Manager of Community Engagement for K-12…

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December 2019 Candace-Moore

December 2019 At the PILI Annual Awards Luncheon, Shareholder and Secretary of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Board of Directors, Daniel Lange, presented the Distinguished Intern Alumni Award to…

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December 2020 Ma’at Lands

“Tech is something that is still moving forward. While the world has to stop and the world has slow down we know, and we see that the tech world and…

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December 2020 Candace Moore

2015 Surge Chicago Alum, Candace Moore’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice for the city of Chicago has announced a citywide Together We Heal initiative, which invites Chicagoans between now…

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December 2020 Chicago Public Schools

Surge Chicago Alumni have been elected as representatives for Local School Council(s) within Chicago Public Schools. See below for full results. Nicole W. Beechum (CHI16) elected as a Parent Representative…

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October 2020 DuJuan Smith

DuJuan Smith, 2015 Surge Chicago Alum, has successfully defended his dissertation, Black While Leading: Unmasking the Lived Experiences of Senior-Level Black Men Administrators at Historically White Institutions and earned his…

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May 2020 Adanta Ahanonu

April 2020 2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Adanta Ahanonu, has accepted a new position as Senior Director of Program for California at COOP Careers. The organization’s mission is to build a…

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November 2020 Halleemah Nash

“To be of service to the younger me.” 2017 Surge Chicago Alum, Halleemah Nash, appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show where she shared the impact she’s had through her company,…

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August 2020 Aurora Flores Garcia

Aurora Flores Garcia (CHI’18) has been promoted to Director of Undergraduate Success at National Louis University. In her new role, she will oversee the work of the Student Success Coaching…

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November 2020 Joanna Vazquez Zelaya

2018 Surge Oakland Alum, Joanna Vazquez Zelaya, has accepted a new role as Public Policy Manager at Alliance for a Better Community. The mission of ABC is to promote economic…

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November 2020 Kyra Mungia

2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Kyra Mungia, was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 in education. She is the youngest director or deputy director working in the mayor’s office in…

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November 2020 Taica Hsu

2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Taica Hsu, was recently selected as part of The Roddenberry Foundation 2021 Fellowship. Launched in 2016, the Roddenberry Fellowship is a $1mil investment in the innovators,…

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