College wasn’t in Mirkan Garcia’s immediate future after graduating from Chicago’s Benito Juárez Community Academy. Despite her desire to pursue a bachelor’s degree, she couldn’t afford it.
Instead, she planned to keep working at Home Depot where, hopefully, she could save enough money to begin college within a year or two.
But plans changed when Garcia was awarded a Hope Chicago Scholarship during her senior year of high school. The scholarship promised to cover her tuition, fees, room, and board while offering wraparound academic support services at a Hope Chicago postsecondary partner like Illinois State University.
“It was very exciting,” Garcia said. “At first it was hard to believe. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I had to take.”
Launched in 2021, Hope Chicago is a scholarship-focused nonprofit that provides students and parents at five Chicago Public Schools (CPS) the support they need to graduate from college debt-free. Illinois State signed an agreement to partner with Hope Chicago in June 2022.
Garcia wanted to study social work in college because of her natural inclination to help others. One of her co-workers at Home Depot, where Garcia worked part-time throughout high school, recommended Illinois State.
“She had a friend who went to ISU, and she said the social work program was really, really good, and it was something that I should look into,” Garcia said.
Originally from the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s lower west side, Garcia and her family moved to the South Side of Chicago when she was a teenager. They occasionally traveled downstate for camping trips, but Garcia’s visit to Illinois State was her first time in Normal. To her surprise, it felt like home.
“I felt like this is where I belonged. It was just a feeling like I needed to go here.”
Mirkan Garcia
“I felt like this is where I belonged,” Garcia said. “It was just a feeling like I needed to go here.”
Garcia’s excitement for college soon turned to regret, however, during a difficult freshman year that included the death of her grandmother.
“I got homesick. I missed my family, and I would go home every weekend,” Garcia said. “I didn’t really want to be here, and I didn’t do my best in school, which I’m not proud of.”
Facing academic dismissal, Garcia contemplated quitting. But her parents and academic support system at Illinois State intervened.
“My dad said, ‘It’s hard, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You have to put yourself out there and keep going to school,’” Garcia recalled.
Her advisor, Priyanka Aich with University College, also listened to Garcia discuss the challenges she faced as a first-generation student. Aich provided the guidance Garcia needed to petition for reinstatement and keep going.
“The support ISU gives is impeccable,” Garcia said. “They made sure I knew all the resources that were available for me after reinstatement, and they made sure I had a good support system and great advisors.”
Garcia said Faith Carter, a program support specialist with University College, and Deanna Stewart, an academic support communities coordinator with University College helped her make a successful comeback.
“I learned how to study, and I learned how to manage my time,” Garcia said. “I had to prove that I was capable of being here. I’ve grown so much as a person from freshman year to now.”
On track to graduate in May 2026, Garcia said she is earning nearly straight As as a junior sociology major with planned minors in psychology and communication. Once she earns her bachelor’s degree, Garcia hopes to work for and eventually run an organization in Chicago that supports low-income communities. She might also return to Normal to pursue a master’s in social work.
“I love what I’m learning,” Garcia said. “It’s a very interesting and diverse program.”
Carter said it’s an honor to work with Garcia through the Hope Chicago program.
“When Mirkan started college, she knew she wanted to make an impact on her world but wasn’t sure how to fully utilize the opportunity provided by Hope Chicago,” Carter said. “As Mirkan honed her study skills and academic strengths, she has been able to develop her goals and navigate the higher education system in order to achieve them.
“Her journey as a Hope Scholar and Redbird has fueled a determination to work with children from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to uplift her community. Mirkan is a clear representation of the strengths and benefits of the Hope Chicago program, and we are lucky to work with an inspiring student like her.”
Garcia, who is a member of the first of three Hope Chicago cohorts currently at Illinois State, is among 116 Hope Scholars enrolled at the University. A fourth cohort will arrive on campus next fall.
While 39% of Garcia’s cohort returned for its second year, the second cohort’s one-year retention rate jumped to 72%, indicating significant progress in student support and success.
To members of the second and third cohorts, Garcia emphasized that they belong at Illinois State.
“You got accepted here. You proved that you belong here,” Garcia said. “So push forward and keep going. The process takes baby steps to get to where you want to be.”
Garcia knows firsthand that the journey through college isn’t always easy. But she reminds her Hope Chicago classmates that they’re not alone.
“I’m really happy that I’m still here,” Garcia said. “Everybody has their own struggles, but at the end of the tunnel there’s always light. Everything happens for a reason, and we’re here for a reason.”
