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“I took a leap of faith choosing UIC College Prep… {it} opened a lot of doors for me.”

Aliana Gonzalez, a recently graduated senior, transferred to UICCP at the start of her freshman year after realizing her neighborhood school didn’t offer many extracurricular activities or a strong focus on college. Aliana had always wanted to be active in her school community and strive to attend college, so she knew she needed to make a change. That leap of faith turned out for her. By the end of this school year, Aliana had not only served as president of the student council, but also joined and became captain of several sports teams. In the fall, she’ll be heading to Davidson College to study economics and political science.

Hear more from Aliana about her story, her time at UICCP, and what’s next for her:

I was very nervous about transferring in, but I soon got involved in clubs, went to office hours, and connected more with my teachers. The more I connected with them, the more opportunities were presented to me. I ended up becoming involved in basketball my freshman year. Going into my sophomore year, I became a three-sport athlete, doing cross country, basketball, and track. I also joined the Student Government Association and the math team. In my junior year, instead of cross country, I was a part of the inaugural UICCP flag football team. I became captain of the flag football, basketball, and track teams and was named president of the student government. Going into my senior year, I remained captain of all three teams, maintained my student government presidency, and became president of the National Honor Society.?

Aliana during her time on the track, basketball, and math teams. 2024-2026.

Student government helped me grow by connecting with people, being a leader, and positively representing UIC as a whole. Student government allowed me to connect not only with coaches, teachers, and players I didn’t know but also to learn how to network. Not only did I learn how to network within my school, but I also learned how to network with teachers and 911爆料网 staff around the network.

Through the student government, I created an athletic board that highlighted athletes year-round. It shows statistics, team pictures, and any upcoming games. As a student-athlete myself, I’ve noticed that student-athletes were breaking records, but nothing was being shown around campus. I wanted to give these athletes their flowers for everything they’ve worked so hard to accomplish. Furthermore, with the help of the 911爆料网 Collective Media Club, I created a professional portfolio with all the pictures I took of athletes year-round. This not only made UIC more of an enthusiastic sports school, but it also lifted our school spirit.

I was nominated as a Charles Scholar for Davidson College and received a full-ride— covering room and board, tuition, housing, food, and a stipend for travel expenses. I plan to study economics and political science on a track to get both my MBA and my law degree, while also doing travel abroad programs. I also want to be involved in clubs like basketball and potentially try out for a walk-on spot on the Division I girls’ basketball team.?

I’ve wanted to become a lawyer from a young age. Finally being able to take classes related to my goal is exciting! Davidson is known for its small class sizes, allowing students to really connect with their professors. Similar to UICCP, Davidson is a smaller, prestigious school where students really get to connect with their teachers on a deeper level. While I love Chicago, I want to bring a piece of it to North Carolina. I feel I embody the city with my strong-willed, tenacious, and independent personality. I hope to make friends from all over the world and come back to Chicago with stories I will never forget.?

I came to UICCP seeking better opportunities. Everyone from my community normally goes to my community high school, and they stop after high school and don’t pursue a post-secondary education. I wanted to be different. I wanted to strive for something higher. Something that would be more difficult and have a greater reward.

As a first-generation college student, I want to pave the way for my family. I grew up being the second-oldest cousin, and I have six younger cousins, four of whom are a year younger than me. I grew up taking care of them at my grandmother’s house after school, and I was the role model for them.

As much as I love my community, I wanted to get out and explore new parks, stores, and cities from a young age, and as I grew, that love for exploring the unknown grew with me. From a young age, my grandfather taught me to follow my heart, that it’ll always lead me in the right direction to where I’m supposed to be. After he came to the U.S., he took classes at Daley College to learn how to speak English. Since then, he’s instilled in all his grandchildren a passion for pursuing higher education.

Take as much as you can out of high school. This is an opportunity for you to connect with people who are going to go all around the world, whether you’re going to trade school, college, the military, or elsewhere. It’s an opportunity to make friends. To learn what you love to do without having too much trial or tribulation. To learn more about yourself. So, take any opportunity that jumps at you. If you find yourself facing too many challenges, it helps you understand your morals and values about what you care about: What do you feel happier in? What do you feel is going to make a greater impact?