Melannie Agaton
Senior, Political Science

This tuition award holds a special place in my heart as I feel it represents an opportunity for underrepresented women to continue thriving. I am immensely grateful for this scholarship, as it has minimized barriers in my pursuit of a career in social justice advocacy. Pursuing an education at UIC has granted me the privilege to participate in experiences that have helped various communities such as my own of Latinx immigrants and families. These are experiences that I value and appreciate deeply. Without support from organizations like the WLRC, I would not have the privilege to continue on this journey. I cannot express enough gratitude for organizations like the WLRC that advocate for the success and rights of marginalized women.

Ghena Almostafa
Junior,  Nursing

Noella Bonsol
Senior, Theatre

I am so grateful to WLRC for their vote of confidence in my education represented in this tuition award. As my study abroad is demanding both academically and financially, this support is well appreciated. It allows me to finish my degree with full focus on creating diverse, empathetic, woman-led theater!

Olivia Chudziaszek
Senior, Biological Sciences

Thank you to the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for choosing me as one of their recipients for the WLRC Tuition Award. This fall semester happens to be my final semester at UIC before I graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to find extra financial aid for my final semester, so when I came across this tuition award, I saw that this would be a solution to lessen my financial burden. Therefore, I am not only very grateful for this opportunity but extremely grateful for being a recipient. I plan on furthering my education after UIC in hopes of being a medical provider and giving back to others the same way the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center has for me.

Jennifer Clemons
Junior, Public Policy

The choice to resume my education was far from straightforward. I was responsible for supporting my family, which made the decision all the more challenging. Nevertheless, I recognized that earning my degree would open up improved opportunities for us. Making education a priority and temporarily putting my career on hold came with its share of difficulties. However, scholarships like this one serve as a clear indicator that my institution has faith in my future and is investing in my success.

Angela Delgado
Sophomore, Graphic Design

I am incredibly grateful for receiving the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center (WLRC) Tuition Award. As a second-generation college student, my mom has always encouraged me to work hard but also to follow my dreams to pursue anything I set my mind to. She, as a single mother of two, pushes us to only focus on our education and to graduate like she did. I always wanted to help my mother in any way I can, and I am incredibly grateful to receive this award to help us with our financial troubles. So now this will motivate me to not give up and to finish and to remind myself to continue being the artist I always wanted to be. Thank you!

Isabella Diaz
Sophomore, Music

Phylicia Dudley
Senior, Nursing

I am incredibly grateful and appreciative to be a recipient of the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center Tuition Award. It is terribly worrisome and anxiety-inducing when you are unsure of how you will pay your tuition for school. This award alleviated that concern and has allowed me to focus on the task at hand: completing the RN to BSN program here at UIC. I look forward to the contributions I can make, and the impact I can have on numerous people as a bachelor’s prepared nurse. In particular, I desire to teach clinical rotations for future nursing students. I thoroughly understand their path and I hope to be an encouraging and guiding mentor/resource on their journey. This scholarship will help me to accomplish this and so much more. Words cannot fully express my gratitude for this opportunity. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Karen Florez Canizales
Senior, Public Policy

I am deeply honored to be a recipient of this award and extremely grateful for the support that the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center (WLRC) provides. It is reassuring to know that there are always individuals and organizations willing to support us and help us face the many challenges that arise as we navigate college. I want to emphasize the significance of organizations like the WLRC in advocating for and empowering women to continue their education and self-growth. I feel immensely grateful to be receiving this award that supports my education and future goals.

Nazaret Gutierrez
Senior, Applied Psychology

I want to thank WRLC for continuing to support all women at UIC & supporting my college education in ways that I know a lot of people wish they had. They continue to be a voice for the voiceless and I am honored to be receiving this award.

Isa Ikram
Senior, Biomedical Engineering

Zainab Jabri
Senior, Neurosciences

Kaylie Knowles
Junior, Applied Psychology

I am grateful to have received the WLRC Tuition Award from the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center. Growing up low-income and raised by a teen single mom, education never seemed like an option. Thanks to this scholarship, I can pursue my studies and further my commitment to advocating for health equity and justice through academics here at UIC.

Cindy Le
Senior, Biological Sciences

Thank you to everyone at WLRC for the scholarship and opportunity to continue my studies at UIC. The generous support not only lightens my financial worries, but also inspires me to work diligently and to make the most of this opportunity. I hope in the future to give back to my community that has supported me in such a way. I’m grateful to have been a recipient of this award.

Andrea Monarrez
Sophomore, Accounting

It is an utmost honor to be a recipient of a scholarship by the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center. To me this scholarship represents the support of success for women as I find myself working towards my degree. I feel privileged and beyond grateful as a woman who gets to obtain opportunities that previous generations fought relentlessly for. Throughout my journey I have found myself looking up to exceptional women in the business world that have defined feminism for me as I strive to find a place in a profession that continues to evolve for women. This scholarship doesn’t only motivate me to continue to work hard, but it also ensures me that the institute in which I receive my education is willing to invest in my education to achieve more.

Natalia Perea
Sophomore, Music

First and foremost, thank you so much for awarding me the WLRC Tuition Award. I truly appreciate your help in supporting my journey in becoming the woman of my dreams. I can’t wait to apply my studies in the real world and give back to my community through music!

Shivani Saluja
Senior, Public Health

I’m incredibly grateful to be a recipient of the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center’s Tuition Award. The WLRC is a fantastic resource that I utilize often on campus, and it means so much to me that I am able to receive financial support from them as well. This Tuition Award will aid in the completion of my Bachelor of Science in Public Health and my minors in Biological Sciences and Spanish for the Professions. As I continue my education at UIC, I feel comfort in knowing that the campus offers a variety of ways to support their students. I hope that other women-identifying students—especially women of color— feel that same feeling I do now and in the future.

Jessica Schueman
Senior, Teaching of English

Receiving the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center Tuition Award is a tremendous honor that will directly benefit me and my family. I am a working single parent and a non-traditional adult student, so receiving this award will lessen tuition costs, debt, and some of the financial burdens of existing below the poverty line. It is a privilege to be chosen for an award that centers advocacy for women who are members of marginalized groups such as student-parents, the LGBTQ+ community, women of color, women with disabilities, undocumented students, veterans, and students returning to college to complete their education. As a woman who identifies with the intersection of some of these underserved groups of people, I am humbled to be selected as a candidate for this opportunity. As a future educator in Urban Education, I strive for this kind of inclusion and equity through my own student advocacy and teaching philosophies. This award validates the sacrifices I have made in prioritizing my education and allows me the space to parent and work alongside my studies and student teaching. This award serves as a symbol for the collective care and community that is crucial for addressing the unmet financial burdens of students and in supporting gender equity and inclusion for women in society and education.

Erin Slaten
Sophomore, Nursing

Thank you to the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for supporting me in my educational pursuits. As a Chinese adoptee and first-generation student who has not received a substantial amount of financial aid, I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity. I plan to devote this generosity not only to further my education in the GPPA Nursing program, but also to continue to uplift the women in my community who may experience similar circumstances. WLRC has helped me recognize my wide scope to touch the hearts and minds of individuals with diverse backgrounds!

Kaleen Tarchichi
Junior, Biological Sciences

I am writing with a heart brimming with gratitude for the WLRC Tuition Award. This support is more than a financial relief; it is a beacon of empowerment that has reshaped my academic journey. In lecture halls and laboratories, I am not alone. The WLRC’s support signifies more than monetary assistance, it signifies a community rallying behind my aspirations. It echoes a belief in the potential of women in science, specifically those who come from marginalized ethnic backgrounds and patriarchal communities. I got lucky to be one of the chosen ones…it is truly a belief that has become the driving force behind my pursuits. As I navigate this path, I carry the legacies of remarkable women like Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin. Their pioneering spirits fuel my determination to contribute meaningfully to the field. With the WLRC’s support, I am one step closer to realizing this dream. Thank you, Women’s Leadership and Resource Center, for this invaluable award. Your belief in my potential has lightened my financial burden and ignited a fire within me to blaze a trail in the world of biological sciences. I am honored and eager to continue this journey with your support.

Kaya Tarchichi
Sophomore, Biological Sciences

Receiving the tuition award from the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center is such an honor to me. I am grateful for all the support offered by this community that is dedicated to fostering the growth, success, and empowerment of women, especially those who are members of marginalized groups. It means so much to me being part of an amazing institution that values women’s education and their potential. Thank you, WLRC, for this financial assistance that would help me pursue and successfully achieve my academic goals and thank you for this glimpse of hope that left a great impact on me and encouraged me to work passionately towards social justice and gender equity.

Shruti Vijayan
Sophomore, Finance

Hannah Wendt
Senior, Urban Planning

Lauren Wrisley
Senior, Nursing

I am extremely honored to be a WLRC Tuition Award recipient. This scholarship not only lightens the financial burden of tuition, but also validates the sacrifices my family has made for my education. As a first-generation college student, my academic journey has not been linear. However, I am excited to graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and continue to advocate for Chicago’s diverse patient population. Thank you for your generosity.

Maijalyne Caffey

“I am honored to be a recipient of the WLRC Tuition Award. Since being here at UIC, I have appreciated everything I have learned and been a part of. I’ve learned more about a sense of community and my own identity through being a Black woman. This award will help me continue my education and studies in marketing; there’s so much more for me to learn and experience here at UIC. Thank you again to Dr. Natalie Bennett and the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for selecting me.”

Jennifer Corona

“I want to thank the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for awarding me the WLRC Tuition Award. It means a lot to me to receive this award as someone who lost their parents at a young age. Pursuing higher education seemed far to achieve as it was an economic concern of mine. Fortunately, this award allows me to further my education without financial strain. I cannot express my ultimate gratitude to the WLRC for supporting and advocating for marginalized women and individuals like myself to pursue our dreams.”

Nazaret Gutierrez

“This scholarship means so much to me because I’m a step closer to becoming a guidance counselor. I want to help kids like me, in communities I grew up in, and help families that are just like mine! Being a first-generation college student is not easy and I appreciate the WLRC for giving me the opportunity!”

Lisa King

“I’m extremely grateful to be one of the recipients for the scholarship offered by the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center. I feel tremendously privileged to be recognized for the small moments of effort I’ve tried to put out into the world to make it a better place for women. Although my contribution may be light right now, this will help me to cover tuition costs and soon graduate so I can strive to do bigger and better things for women worldwide. Thank you WLRC for this reward and I’ll make sure to make it worth it!”

Sydnee Overton

“Receiving this scholarship is a great honor to me as well as the community who encouraged me to pursue my education—this means a great deal to all of us. Moreover, the last couple of years I’ve been enrolled at UIC have granted me the ability to explore the multi-faceted and diverse aspects of myself while also allowing me to grow in the other areas of my identity I was previously unaware of. This scholarship has given me the opportunity to further pursue avenues that are going to help me evolve into the distinguished leader, student, and woman that I am aspiring/meant to be. Having less of a financial burden and insecurity as a result of this award has already done wonders for my confidence in addition to my overall well-being. It is with much gratitude that I accept this scholarship and continue to explore the possibilities that this institution has to offer me, while also striving to make it an even more inclusive and representative space for the future generations to come. I would like to formally thank the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for offering me, and female students alike, a chance as wonderful as this to assist us with our academic endeavors. I am incredibly fortunate to be receiving this resource and I am very eager to continue to be the change here at UIC.”

Karlie Sanchez

“I am so thankful for this scholarship! I spent a lot of time this semester worrying how I was going to pay my tuition for the semester, as I did not receive as much financial support this year. Having this award means I will be able to focus more on my mental health and my school priorities. Being stressed about my tuition really took a toll on me, to the point where I was not prioritizing the things that I should have been prioritizing. I prayed out my worries to God, and he definitely heard me! Overall, I am so thankful for the resources we are provided!”

Charlotte Wagner

“Thank you to the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for helping me as I work towards my educational goals at UIC. This year has been particularly worrisome financially, so I am so grateful to have been given this scholarship and opportunity. This scholarship, to me, means less time staying up late doing tuition calculations and extra hours at work and more time devoted to research, study, and conversation—the things I love! I owe so much to the professors, friends, and allies I’ve met here, and I feel very at home on this campus. My years as a student at UIC have given me a sense of belonging and purpose I can never be grateful enough for. Thank you again to the WLRC, and may we all continue to learn and grow together!”

Hannah K. Wendt

“I’m a transfer, as well as a first-generation, student who is seeking to find what I can do to better our community through academics. With my current education, I have struggled to find the proper starting point and direction to take, causing me to switch majors multiple times. However, finding UIC and its great opportunities has given me the foundation I needed. This is firmly attributed to the fantastic staff and students I am surrounded with every day. This award allows me to continue to study and learn with this great group of people and aspire to change our world for the better.”

Ela Wojtasik

“I would like to thank UIC’s Women’s Leadership and Resource Center (WLRC) for the opportunity to receive the tuition award. As I am approaching my graduation, this award will help relieve my financial concerns as well as help me apply to graduate programs. As an immigrant, my goal is to become the first person in my family to attain either a master’s or doctorate degree. One of the reasons why I love UIC is because of programs such as WLRC that not only promote gender equity, but also acknowledge diversity. It means a lot to me that my ambitions were recognized and I am able to continue my studies. I am extremely determined to attain my bachelor of science in kinesiology this upcoming spring and work towards my goal of promoting female leadership in the fitness industry. Thank you once again to this amazing organization that advocates for women in higher education. As a recipient of this award, I will work hard to ensure that its mission holds true!”

Jane An
Biological Sciences

“I would like to thank the Women’s Leadership & Resource Center (WLRC) for furthering the opportunity to continue my education at UIC as a Biological Sciences major and Public Health minor. As someone who has not received much government assistance to fund my education in the past, I feel extremely fortunate that WLRC is working to promote awareness and recognize the needs of women with diverse backgrounds. I can now say that I will be able to focus solely on my education for the remainder of the semester without financial strain for me or my parents. I will continue to work towards my higher education and personify the mission of WLRC!”

Zoe Bridges
Disability and Human Development

“I am honored to be a recipient of the UIC WLRC Tuition Award for the Fall 2021 semester. Over the past 2 years, I’ve learned so much about myself as a student, disability advocate and my identity as a black woman. I’ve found new passions through my interdisciplinary education and strive to learn more from the amazing faculty in my undergraduate program. Being a student during the pandemic challenged me in ways I never would’ve thought. But, through perseverance and determination, I found an unwavering strength and power within myself. Being a leader has always been a trait of mine that I hold dear because I want to inspire young BIPOC students to be vocal about the issues that matter most to them. I’m happy to be one of many ambitious, like-minded undergraduates receiving this award because it is validating to see my hard work pay off. Thank you Dr. Natalie Bennett and the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center for selecting me.”

Neshunda Cannon
Applied Health Sciences

“I am so excited grateful and thankful for this award. I have had an unforgettable experience at UIC, and this award will make a big difference in my life and continuous studies. This award will help me to continue my dream and add in me furthering my education to graduate school. This scholarship will open opportunities that I could not have afforded otherwise. It is an amazing feeling to have been fortunate enough to be consider for this award. It has done so much for me and words cannot express my gratitude.”

Olivia Meisenbach
Public Health

“Being award this tuition award truly means the world to me. As a first-generation student coming from a single parent household income, college seemed extremely farfetched for me. I am so incredibly grateful for this tuition award because it helped uplift some anxiety of mine on my future tuition payments. I am paying my tuition by myself and student loans, so having this opportunity helps me see clearer for my future after graduation. This tuition award from the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center has built my confidence in my schoolwork, my career path, and my finances for my university.”

Taahira Muhammad
Biological Sciences

“I am extremely grateful for the support of UIC WLRC and CAN as I’ve been completing my degree the last two years whether it be with the tuition assistance award, assistance with finding resources or invitations to participate in various programs groups held by WLRC and CAN. This award means I can finish the last year of my undergraduate studies focused primarily on my course load! My time at UIC has had highs and lows and it’s been filled with lessons and blessings, but it’s been incredibly rewarding to pursue this degree to become a future veterinarian. I’m excited to graduate in the spring 2022, to close out this chapter of my education at UIC, and be on my way to veterinary school!”

Erica Olavarria
Biomedical Engineering

“I am so incredibly grateful to be awarded the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center (WLRC) Tuition Award for the 2021-2022 academic year! As a first-generation college student, I’ve always had to pay my tuition costs independently, and as a result I often found myself struggling to find a balance between my education and working long hours to afford it. I am expected to graduate this Spring of 2022 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, and thanks to the WLRC, the fear of not being able to afford my final year of study has been alleviated. Furthermore, receiving this generous award shows me that it is possible to come from a disadvantaged background and still obtain a college degree, even when it feels like all of the odds are against you.

Thank you, WLRC, for being an advocate for women in their educational pursuits. I can’t wait to see what my future holds!”

Tatiana Carbajal
Junior, Electrical Engineering and Entrepreneurship

Paola Castro

“Thank you for selecting me as one of the students to receive this award. What this tuition award means to me is an opportunity to have a peace of mind from this semester’s financial toll. It also represents faith that sometimes even adversities that set me apart as a woman can be used to overcome other obstacles in life. I am greatly appreciative to UIC and the Women’s Leadership & Resource Center.”

Jennifer Corona
Sophomore, Psychology and Latin American and Latino Studies

Danielle Cortes
Senior, Gender and Women’s Studies

Erica Olavarria
Junior, Biomedical Engineering

Montserrat Pereyra
Junior, Psychology and Biology

Farreh Qatanani

“As a daughter of parents who immigrated to this country, I have always struggled with my identity within a marginalized community, in addition to being a woman. The Women’s Leadership Resource Center (WLRC) Tuition Award is an honor, as it allows me to continue to pursue my goal of becoming a physician and conduct research without the additional stress of funding my educational goals. Currently I am working as an Emergency Medical Technician, conducting research on cells infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV), and tutoring students enrolled in introductory and general chemistry at UIC. My long-term goals include studying the social determinants of health and how they specifically affect marginalized groups, as well as providing care for underserved populations as a physician. I am very grateful for this generous WLRC award and aspire to continue to embody its legacy!”

Helen Abera
Senior, Sociology

Gurleen Kaur
Junior, Computer Science with Mathematics Minor

Emoonah McClerklin
Senior, Psychology and Sociology

Jeyra Rivera-Arocha
Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Makiz Salehzai
Sophomore, Teaching of English with Psychology Minor

Rashida Thompson
Sophomore, Biological Sciences

Catherine Williams
Junior, Civil Engineering