Fall 2022 Cohort of UIC CHANCE students named ComEd Scholars
Fall 2022 Cohort of UIC CHANCE students named ComEd Scholars Heading link
Two University of Illinois Chicago engineering students were recently named ComEd Scholars and will be provided scholarships to fill the tuition gap not covered by financial aid.
The students, Chanel Hamilton and Aaron Tillery, make up the 2022 ComEd Scholars fourth cohort and are part of the UIC CHANCE program’s STEM Academy.
Tillery is a second-year student from Chicago’s Washington Heights neighborhood who is pursuing a degree in computer engineering, and Hamilton is a first-year student from suburban Country Club Hills who is pursuing an engineering degree.
Tillery said he was extremely grateful and honored to be one of ComEd’s new scholarship recipients. He said he was thankful for “all of the amazing leaders and staff” at UIC, CHANCE and ComEd.
“Since entering college, I have been able to work harder and get one step closer to my dream of becoming a computer engineer. Being able to build technology for the future and help my city is something that I strive to achieve,” Tillery said. “With the help of ComEd and the CHANCE program, I am on the path to doing so. I am blessed and excited about what the future holds.”
As a new college student and as a first-generation student, Hamilton said she appreciated the help and financial support that CHANCE and ComEd have offered her. The support began for her when she was involved in the program’s summer engineering class.
“Not only did I learn how to do some of the more difficult aspects of engineering as an aspiring engineer, but I also learned about the open and inclusive environment at UIC,” Hamilton said. “I was extremely excited to apply to UIC when I heard about this incredible opportunity with ComEd because I admire the work that ComEd has done for the community. I will make CHANCE and ComEd proud.”
The ComEd Scholars program aims to invest in a diverse workforce, ComEd officials said. In addition to the UIC students, two students from the Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, also were recipients.
The ComEd Scholars program, in its fourth year, provides scholarships to students pursuing degrees in STEM that cover education-related costs that exceed financial aid. Since the ComEd Scholars Program’s inception in 2019, 26 students have been awarded support.
“ComEd’s commitment to creating the diverse STEM workforce of the future exemplifies what it means to create equitable pathways for the next generation of leaders and change-makers,” said UIC Interim Chancellor Javier Reyes. “We are thankful for this partnership and investment in UIC students.”