Chicago Teens from South and West Sides Explore Career Paths and Tour DeVry University

SommerAnn McCullough
Published: April 6, 2017

Chicago teens and middle school students from the south and west sides of the city including Englewood, North Lawndale and Humboldt Park attended a free one-day Leadership Institute at the DeVry University, part of DeVry Education Group, a global provider of educational services, on April 1^st. Over 40 girls were able to take a campus tour, interview a panel of career women in various professions and focus on wellness in a Yoga workshop.

The second annual Leadership Institute is a free program local nonprofit Girls in the Game provides in collaboration with the DeVry Group. Teens from Girls in the Game’s After School and Teen Squad programs explore career opportunities and college majors while connecting with new role models and mentors.

Career panelists who spoke with the girls included Katie Ramey (Ernst & Young), Susana González (Chamberlain College of Nursing, DeVry University), Shantira Jackson (The Second City Network), Micae Brown (Host of the Micae Brown Report and The Urban Business Roundtable) and Colleen Griffin (IT Specialist) who shared their own experiences overcoming barriers of gender, racial and class discrimination to reach their current roles in the work place.

“Find what your passion is and find a seat at the table," panelist Susana Gonzalez told the girls who asked questions about a female in the workplace and which role models had inspired them in their respective career journeys.

The event provided girls with a first-hand look at potential career paths from IT and Accounting to being an entrepreneur as well as potential college majors in nursing and tech.

About Girls in the Game

Since 1995, Girls in the Game, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, has emerged as a leading girls' health and fitness organization in Chicago. Every year, Girls in the Game empowers more than 3,500 girls to make healthier choices and develop the confidence and leadership skills they need to succeed on and off the field. At Girls in the Game every girl finds her voice, discovers her strength and leads with confidence through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs. For more information, please visit www.girlsinthegame.org.

Keywords: career, College, College experiences, Girls, girls in the game, Health and Fitness, high school, leadership skills, Mentoring, Sports