Chicago Public Schools seniors rack up record scholarship money

Dmariya Haggard knew when he started at Orr Academy High School four years ago that he wanted to go to college.

But midway through his freshman year, the COVID-19 pandemic upended his and thousands of other students’ lives.

“The last three or four years, it hasn’t been good for me,” Haggard said.

But with his family and Orr staff’s help, he’s achieving his dream this fall when he’ll attend Northern Illinois University after securing $192,000 in scholarships from the DeKalb college and others that also accepted him. He plans to major in biology.

“The neighborhood I grew up in, I’ve seen a lot,” Haggard said in front of students, staff and Mayor Brandon Johnson and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez at the West Side high school Wednesday, where a news conference marked the last day of school for Chicago Public Schools.

“I’ve seen people not go to college or not even to high school — they just stay at home or go outside and do some other things that they shouldn’t be doing,” Haggard continued. “And I knew that I wanted to be different because I want to do better for myself and have a better future ... and have a family in the future.”

Haggard is one of almost 10,000 graduating CPS seniors to receive scholarships this year totaling $2.2 billion, an amount that school officials said nearly doubles last year’s sum and sets a new record for the district. Those include offers that’ll be used to attend college as well as those from schools that students rejected.

For the first time, at least one student at every CPS high school reported earning some scholarship money.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

“I am so proud of Orr High School,” Martinez said. “Our students feel safe, they feel connected here. They feel supported, and it shows.

“The pandemic caused a lot of challenges for our city and our district,” he added, particularly for this graduating class that “closed out their freshman year when this whole country was shut down. So think about those challenges. And then coming back their second year remote, and all the challenges that came with that.”

Martinez said 5,000 high school seniors were enrolled in college courses this year, earning over 39,000 college credits.

Destiny King, 18, is staying close to home, heading to Loyola University Chicago in the fall after she considered $127,000 worth of scholarship offers. She plans to major in nursing.

“This year’s scholarship dollars are a testament to all the hard work we have put in over these last four years,” King says.

She’s going into a second year of interning at Rush University Medical Center this summer. Last year, she certified as an EKG technician.

“I also want to show appreciation to teachers and family because I know it isn’t easy dealing with teenagers and attitudes,” King said. “So I appreciate every single one of you for sticking by our side and pushing us to our fullest potential.”