Chicago buildOn Alum Spotlight

Growing up in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Matthew Stokes rarely traveled far from home. That is, until he joined buildOn. The service projects he participated in through his afterschool program at Michelle Clark High School took him across the city and introduced him to a reality different than his own.

“If you know anything about Chicago, you know that it is a mosaic of different people and cultures,” said Matthew. “buildOn gave me a chance to expand my horizons, while showing me that I had the ability to improve my city.”

By serving the Chicago Community, Matthew came to understand that if he could change the lives of others, he could also change his own. Now, in his fourth year at Oberlin College – where he’s on a Posse Full-Tuition Leadership Scholarship – service has remained a large part of his life. He currently tutors fourth graders in math and also helps raise money for Oberlin student scholarships. After Oberlin, Matthew plans to become a professional fundraiser in the non-profit industry so he can continue doing his part to change the world.

 

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