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Full College Scholarships Given to Entire Student Body at 5 Chicago High Schools

The scholarships cover not just tuition, but completely cover room and board, books and fees, and other related college expenses and can be used to attend any of Hope’s 21 partner colleges in Chicago and throughout Illinois, including several local Chicago community colleges, the University of Illinois, Loyola University, and Northern Illinois University. Hope Scholars, as the scholarship recipients are dubbed, also receive mentoring, counseling, and wrap-around support services before starting school and during college.

Published

4 years ago

June 4, 2022

Oakland Post

Pete Kadens, co-founder and co-chairman of Hope Chicago

By Brandon Patterson

In February, Hope Chicago, a Chicago scholarship program, made headlines for surprising students at five public high schools in Chicago with full college scholarships. On Sunday, “60 Minutes” aired a special about the incredible program.

“I’m still processing those feelings,” said Kavarrion Newsom, a student at Noble Johnson College Prep, one of the schools where students received scholarships. “I’ll remember this day for the rest of my entire life.”

Hope Chicago awarded full scholarships to the entire student bodies — not just graduating seniors — at five public high schools in Chicago in February, awarding scholarships to a total of more than 4,000 students, according to HOPE’s website.

Recent research from Hope Chicago shows that 93% of Chicago public high school freshmen want to attend college, according to the organization’s website. But just 63% of Chicago Public Schools’ 12th-graders enroll in college — and just 27% complete their studies — with financial costs being a primary barrier.

Among students who drop out of college, nearly half do so because they can’t afford to continue, according to Hope Chicago. And students who do earn their degrees are saddled with $30,000 in debt on average. In fact, Hope Chicago says, nearly half of Black students owe about 12% more than they originally borrowed 12 years after they’ve graduated.

“With Hope Chicago, students can worry less about how they’ll pay for and stay in college or trade school and more time being the best students they can be,” Pete Kadens, co-founder and co-chairman of Hope Chicago, said in press release. “Hope scholars will know that when challenges arise — and that’s life, challenges always arise — they can turn to Hope Chicago and our community partners for the help and support they need to succeed.”

But the scholarships don’t stop there. Hope Chicago also awarded scholarships to one parent or guardian from each student’s family to attend or return to a two- or four-year college if they choose. The scholarships were awarded to families at the South Side schools Benito Juarez Community Academy, Al Raby School for Community and Environment, Morgan Park High School, Noble Johnson College Prep, and Farragut Career Academy.

“We have always had a too close relationship with poverty and lack,” said Yolanda White, mother to one of the students who received a scholarship at Noble Johnson. Now she plans to take technology classes to grow her baking business.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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4 days ago

March 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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1 week ago

March 1, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.