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Harper College Student Trustee Niki Safakas knows first-hand the financial burden
that a scholarship can alleviate. As a recipient of the Foundation’s Thomas E. Irwin
Scholarship, she’s been able to shift her focus from her job to classwork, music and
leadership development.
She’s hopeful the Promise Scholarship Program will offer similar relief in the future
to her parents, who will soon have three daughters in college at the same time. Niki,
who plans to transfer to Loyola University this fall to prepare for a career as a
chemistry teacher, recently shared the impact that earning free tuition could have
on her family:
As a first-generation college student, both my parents and I were unsure about how
college worked or how much debt would be accumulated because of it. Besides saving
money, I still wanted to be with my family for a bit longer, as family is very important
to me. I did not feel quite ready to leave them just yet, and Harper provided a nice
transition for me to start my college education while giving me the chance to mature
close to home.
Being here has given me so many opportunities that I would not have had at university.
I have small classes with great student peers and teachers who know me and care about
my education. I have also had many leadership opportunities at Harper through the
Student Government Association and as Student Trustee. I will take this valuable knowledge
with me as I begin my career in education. My dream to become a future educator has
truly been solidified here at Harper College.
When I first heard that I had received the Thomas E. Irwin Scholarship, it changed
my life as a student. On paper, my family seems well-off but we live paycheck to paycheck,
so I am not eligible for financial aid. We were worried about how we’d cover the cost
of Harper, but this scholarship helped alleviate some of that burden. I was able to
resign from my stressful job working retail 20-plus hours a week. Now, I work eight
hours a week at Harper’s admissions office and can focus more on balancing academics,
extracurricular activities and giving back to the college.
My youngest sister, Christina, is in the first cohort of Promise Scholars. Having
three kids in college all at the same time will not only be a burden on each of us
individually, but on our parents as well. The Promise Scholarship provides hope and
relief for my parents, who I know are eternally grateful. It’s an opportunity my family
could have never dreamed of.
“I signed up for the Promise Scholarship so I won’t have to worry about my debt when I’m done and the hassle of applying to a bunch of competitive scholarships that probably won’t cover my entire tuition. I want to be a veterinary technician because I want to help animals, and for what I am going into, the Promise Scholarship will pay for a lot of the education I will need.” - Christina Safakas, Schaumburg High School junior
