A MESSAGE FROM the Executive Director
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Dear Alumni Family,
As we wrap up another beautiful summer in Chicago, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils fills the air of every school this time of year. The excitement of a new schedule, new classes, and new teachers fills the hearts of school kids nationwide.
At CSU, our Housing Scholars are moving in the dorms this week, and our athletes are already on campus as they prepare for their first season in our new conference, the Northeast Conference. Faculty are engaging in institute days, training, and curriculum building while the Office of Physical Plant is continuing the endless task of updating building and classroom features, repairing aging structures, and completing large scale renovation projects like the Jacoby Dickens Center (JDC). The JDC's new pool will be ready in the spring to welcome our new Women's Triathlon team.
To fuel all of this growth and community involvement, our alumni engagement has shot off like a rocket this summer, launching the new Chicago State Alumni Association (CSAA) to organize alumni programming that matters most to you. Be sure your voice is heard by taking the new alumni survey. This survey will inform alumni programming decisions for the next few years. Don't miss an opportunity to engage by joining the alumni association; seeking volunteer opportunities; attending one of our upcoming alumni event like Jazz on the Grass, the Welcome Week Yard Show, and our first Homecoming week in years; or exploring our growing alumni benefits.
Let's never forget that we are always stronger, together.
Sincerely,
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Melanie Sillas
Executive Director
Chicago State Foundation
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Alumni Represent in the 95th Bud Billiken Parade | |
CSU alumni showed up in style at the 95th Annual Bud Billiken Parade!
Our amazing CSU community came together to celebrate this rich tradition from our vibrant float to the energy of our Cougar family. Over 100 alumni, faculty, staff and students volunteered to walk or work the CSU table in the park, making it a day filled with community pride and joy.
The Bud Billiken Parade isn’t just a parade–it’s a powerful celebration of our community, heritage, and future. Thank you to all the alumni that volunteered or came out in support.
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1stGEN Scholarship Gala Tickets Now Available
Tickets to our 5th Annual 1stGEN Scholarship Gala: Accelerate, presented by United, are now available. Don't wait, and reserve your seats today for this energetic event supporting CSU students and honoring partners, alumni and community members making a difference that matters to CSU.
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Alumni Needed to Mentor Current Students | |
The Chicago State Foundation is actively looking to recruit mentors for the Rise Academy Champions Mentoring Program this academic year. We are anticipating that 50 Rise Scholars will participate in this year and we are very excited to be working with you to enhance the first-year experiences of our Scholars.
The Champions Mentoring Program will operate during the student scholars’ first year of instruction at CSU, (September 5, 2024 - April 17, 2025). Program participants will engage in a one-hour group session per month as well as be required to meet with their Champion/Scholars virtually not less than once monthly.
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CSU Cougars Join the Northeast Conference |
Chicago State University's (CSU) membership in the Northeast Conference (NEC) officially began on Monday, July 1.
The entrance into the NEC marks another milestone for CSU's Athletic Department; the department added women's triathlon which will begin competing this fall and launched a fundraising campaign to expand its sports offerings, most notably pursuing the potential to add FCS Division I football (Football Championship Subdivision), which would be the only Division I football program in the City of Chicago. The full NEC conference membership will be for 13 of CSU's men's and women's sports while men's and women's tennis will remain in the Horizon League for one more season.
Read the full story here.
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CSU Hires New Provost
Chicago State University (CSU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sonja Feist-Price, Ph.D., Rh.D., as Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.
Provost Feist-Price will lead the university’s eight academic areas, which consist of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, Honors College, School of Pharmacy, First Year Experience, and Nontraditional Programs, offering nearly 60 degree and certificate programs.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Feist-Price to Chicago State,” said Z Scott, President of CSU. “After conducting a competitive national search for this position, Dr. Feist-Price stood out as not only holding exemplary expertise in academic affairs but also a firm commitment to student success. The university-wide committee charged with candidate screening recognized the leadership, skills and experience Dr. Feist-Price brings to this role.”
Read more about Dr. Feist-Price here.
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CSU Hosts Mandela Washington Fellow to Advance
Special Education in the Republic of Guinea
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For the first time, CSU is hosting a Mandela Washington Fellow, Ms. Hafsatou Diallo from the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), designed to empower young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement.
Hosted by the College of Education and the Global Engagement Office, Ms. Diallo will develop an inclusive education framework for special education in her country. During her time at CSU, she will visit schools that have special education cluster programs and engage with teachers, community leaders, and officials at the state and national levels.
Ms. Diallo is currently the head of the Fondation Internationale TIerno et Mariam (FITMA) disability division—a non-governmental, non-profit organization that advocates for children with disabilities and women. In her position, she conducts programs to ensure that children with disabilities receive the necessary medical care and education.
We extend a warm welcome to Ms. Diallo and hope she will enjoy our CSU community as much as we do!
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Cougars Go Global: Alumni Shining Worldwide |
Congratulations to our alumni Cougars making history in their sport. CSU is proud to boast about 13 alumni continuing their professional basketball careers across the globe!
- Dominique Alexander - TBL, Long Beach Blue Waves
- Teddy Bayi - France, Levallois
- Noah Bigirumwami - Ireland, Bright DCU St. Vincents Dublin
- Lou Demuth - Germany, Amicale
- Anthony Harris - Brazil, Mogi das Cruzes Basquete
- David Holston - France, JDA Dijon Bourgogne
- Andrew Lewis - Georgia, GAU
- Trayvon Palmer - Venezuela, Marinos de Oriente
- Clarke Rosenberg - Israel, E.Ashkelon
- Fred Sims Jr. - Portugal, Olhanense
- Deionte Simmons - MBL, G.O.M
- Elijah Weaver - Vietnam, Saigon Heat
- Aaron Williams - Slovakia, Nitra
From the TBL to the MBL, and from Europe to South America and Asia, CSU alumni are making their mark!
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Congressman Danny K. Davis to Receive the 2024 Cougar Servant Leadership Award for Alumni Achievement | |
Congressman Davis is an alumnus of Chicago State University and a trailblazer who throughout his public service career has always put the people's interest first. He has been a City Councilman, Democratic Committeeman, U.S. Representative, 7th District, Illinois, Democratic State Central Committeeman, 7th District and Member Democratic National Committee. Before becoming an elected official, Congressman Danny K. Davis had productive careers as an educator, health planner, administrator, community organizer, civil rights advocate, and activist. He has received hundreds of awards for his outstanding work in health, education, human relations, politics, and advocacy, including eight honorary doctorate degrees from prestigious colleges and universities.
He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and has spent time in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and in South and Central America. Currently, Representative Davis is serving his fourteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives where he sits on the influential Ways and Means Committee, is the 7th Democrat in Seniority and is Ranking Member on the Sub-Committee on Worker and Family Support. He has been the principal author and lead sponsor of several bills such as the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, The Second Chance Act, The Jackie Walorski Memorial Act and the Sickle Cell Education and Treatment Act.
To see Rep Davis receive his award in person, secure your Gala tickets today!
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The Chicago State Alumni Association (CSAA) is up and running with new branding, and a new structure designed to serve you better! Learn about all of the amazing new things we are doing by signing up for alumni emails, check out the alumni benefits, attend an upcoming alumni event, and consider joining the CSAA.
To help inform CSAA programing, please take our first-ever alumni survey. It's brief, only ten minutes, and will inform programming decisions for years to come. Make your alumni voice heard today!
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FOLLOW THE CSAA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
To stay in the know, be sure we have your updated email information here, and follow our newly branded accounts on social media below.
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Do you have questions about your finances but don’t know where to begin to find an answer or maybe are afraid to ask? If so, please join the Chicago State Foundation for these financial planning workshops offered by some of our top financial partners!
Click on the image above to register for our first workshop scheduled on Saturday, September 14. Light refreshments will be provided.
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Follow the CSAA on social media | |
The Chicago State Alumni Association is operated out of the Chicago State Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising and engagement office of Chicago State University. | | | | |