Your Gifts at Work
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, over $857,000 was awarded during the 2016-17 academic year in scholarships, grants and awards. Learn more about our gifts at work and the donors whose generosity make these success stories possible.
Kristina Gaardbo, co-owner of Chicago Culinary Kitchen, credits her time as a student at Harper and the years in the nursing field with giving her the foundational skills to be a successful business owner and helping launch into this chapter of her adventure. Read More
"This career will not be handed to you on a silver platter. I had to work hard to achieve my dreams and I love being able to help my students achieve theirs." – Jeanine Liska, Fire Science Technology Alumni, Faculty and Firefighter/Paramedic at Schaumburg Fire Department Read More
Olive “Polly” Paine was a visionary during her time, a highly educated woman – she earned a PhD from Yale in 1930 – who devoted her life to developing innovative early education programs. Her memory will continue to live on through Polly’s Kids Scholarship, providing single parents an opportunity to send a child to Harper College’s Early Childhood Laboratory while they pursue their studies at Harper. Read More
With the support of the Jim McGuire Memorial Scholarship, Judith Blaylock was able to turn her life around. Read More
Jessica Flores’ educational goal is to be a veterinarian, and she enrolled in Harper’s study abroad program to Costa Rica to build her resume and gain experience in animal biology. While in Costa Rica she studied snake coloration patterns between the dry tropical forests and the tropical rain forests Read More
Dr. Nancy Castle was 16 years old when she arrived at Harper College in 1973. During her time on campus, she explored an interest in psychology and built a foundation of skills and confidence that she later parlayed into a nationally recognized career in the field. Read More
Ruth's future looked dim. She was 16 years old, pregnant and still in high school. People were counseling her to give up her baby - saying if she didn’t, she wouldn’t amount to anything. She proved them wrong. Thanks to the support she received at Harper, she is graduating with honors and transferring to a four-year school. Her goal is a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Read More