An Englewood student’s vision of what she would do if she were the mayor has paid off in a big way.
Destiney
Morris, a 17-year-old senior at Englewood Community Academy High School, is the
winner of the 2011 Black History Month Scholarship Essay Contest. Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely
surprised Morris with a giant check for $1000, presented to the stunned student
in front of her mother, classmates, teachers and Principal Peggy Korellis-Byrd.
Morris
says she has already been accepted to the University of Illinois Chicago, and
the scholarship money will go directly to the school.
The
scholarship contest was based on this question: “As the new mayor of Chicago,
what are your economic and neighborhood development goals for your
administration specifically in the African-American communities?”
In her
essay Morris wrote that she wants to be able to walk down the street “without
feeling as if I needed to dodge a bullet.” She writes that fountains and green
spaces, churches, and businesses that hire residents are all part of the
solution.
Morris
also writes that the single word that best describes a mayor’s obligation is
“responsibility” to “make sure your city is happy and prospering.”
