"This is my first semester in college. I am doing pretty well. I just have two classes I have to bring my grades up in..."
— Carla Boyd
DMK Scholar
DMK Scholarship Program
Based on the premise that with the necessary financial assistance combined with personalized academic and career support, all students can achieve their goals, we have created a scholarship program to provide educational opportunities to Chicago area teens and young adults who demonstrate financial need and who may be academically underprepared, but who have a drive to succeed. But even if students do make it to college, many do not graduate due to continued financial challenges as education costs rise, as well as to a lack of academic and personal support. To address this need, we've also created a mentoring program to help ensure our students stay in school and graduate with a degree they can use.
We chose to partner with Chicago City Colleges to provide scholarships to students who would like to complete one of the many approved associates degrees, pre-approved certificate programs or more advanced degrees from any of the seven city colleges: Kennedy King, Harold Washington, Olive-Harvey, Truman, Malcom X, Richard J. Daley and Wilbur Wright College.
As the only scholarship program of its kind to service Illinois community college students, the DMK, Jr. Foundation is able to reach out to a large pool of individuals who might not otherwise be able to attend college. The scholarship program provides "last dollar" funding that pays for the costs associated with obtaining a two-year degree as well as an educational support system for each scholar.
Our educational support system includes mentoring, academic advising, seminars and tutoring. We hope this multi-faceted approach will increase graduation rates among scholarship recipients, therefore allowing for a greater range of opportunities available after graduation.
It is our hope that with this program, we will improve the job opportunities available to these young people, and that this in turn will affect positive social change by impacting their future roles in society. The Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.