West Chicago Middle School Students Invited to Tour Northern Illinois University

Once a week a group of 8th grade students at West Chicago Middle School meet after school with math teacher Hilda Islas. The group calls themselves the West Chicago Future Dream Leaders. According to Ms. Islas, the purpose of the group is to encourage students to take mathematics to the next level and learn more about possible careers.

This spring, the West Chicago Future Dream Leaders were invited to visit the campus of Northern Illinois University during which the students were educated on the importance of taking high school education seriously, the requirements for attending Northern Illinois University as a student, the life style of students on campus and, most importantly, how current decisions will affect their future.

On campus, the group visited with college students from the engineering department as well as from the college of business, stressing the importance of mathematics in both of these fields. The university students fielded questions from the eighth graders about requirements to be accepted into NIU and the necessary high school classes that would best prepare them for admittance into the university.

In addition to academic requirements, a financial aid advisor discussed the different opportunities available to fund a college education including scholarships, grants, and loans. The group was also given a tour of campus, including a dorm room. They were even invited to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

In recapping the event, Ms. Islas expressed hope that this experience, “…will expand their vision to include a college education, understand the necessary steps needed to reach their goal and realize the importance of making thoughtful and careful decisions from now on.”