In Case You Missed It
Mentor/Mentee Event
On Saturday, April 26, LINK Mentors and Mentees had the opportunity to serve Chicago Grows Food, a nonprofit working to reduce barriers to gardening as a way to fight food insecurity. Mentors and Scholars worked together to assemble 100 Grow Kits that included fabric grow bags, soil, and seeds. The Grow Kits were distributed throughout the community in May.
Thanks to all the Mentees who participated! Way to “grow together” with your Mentor while you make a difference in our community!
New Scholar Orientation
What an incredible day of celebration and new beginnings! On Saturday, May 31, we officially welcomed our amazing new class of over 60 Scholars into Jr. LINK and our dynamic high school fellowship—the classes of 2029, 2030, and 2031!
You could feel the energy from the moment President & CEO Dr. Toinette Gunn delivered her inspiring welcome address, followed by enthusiastic introductions from our passionate staff team. The excitement continued to build as our Scholars learned about the transformative journey ahead and caught their first glimpse of everything LINK has in store for them over the next few years.
The afternoon buzzed with connection and discovery as our new Scholars dove into small groups. The high school Scholars created instant bonds by introducing themselves to each other through playing Human Bingo. Then they enjoyed a lively Q&A session led by current LINK upperclassmen—Addison Sloss, class of 2027, and Danielle Adams, class of 2026—as well as two of our collegiate alumni: class of 2022 Scholars and current summer interns at LINK, Charity Alfred and Areyana Smith. Jr. LINKers got to know each other by discussing debatable questions and topics. All the new Scholars were full of curiosity, and each room was filled with laughter and passionate conversations.
Meanwhile, parents connected in their own powerful discussions, reflecting on their own high school experiences and sharing strategies and insights about maximizing their Scholars’ future experiences with their schools and with LINK. The parent community was already forming, united in their excitement for their children’s futures.
Scholars were excited to receive gift bags containing LINK pens, bracelets, fidget spinners, phone holders, and more. As families headed home after the event, the atmosphere was full of anticipation, with dreams taking shape, knowing that something truly special had begun.
Welcome to the LINK family, Scholars—your extraordinary journey starts now!
