WHEN: Friday, February 27, 6 p.m.
WHERE: Tinley Park Convention Center
18451 Convention Center Drive
Tinley Park, IL 60477
WHO:
The Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity (SCSDD), composed of nearly 40 elementary and secondary superintendents from suburban Cook and collar counties
Dr. Anthony Edison, president of the Superintendents’ Commission; superintendent of Posen-Robbins School District 143-5
Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, co-chair of the We Are Stronger Together Scholarship Gala; CEO and founder of Southland College Prep Charter High School; superintendent of Matteson School District 162
Dr. Johnnie Thomas, co-chair of the We Are Stronger Together Scholarship Gala; superintendent of Rich Township High School District 227
Dr. Donzell Lee, honoree; retiring president of Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi
Dr. Austin Lane, chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Lisa M. Rollins, regional development director for UNCF
Calvin Jordan, Rich Township supervisor
Student performers representing ten Chicagoland high schools
TINLEY PARK, Ill. — For the fourth year, the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity (SCSDD) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) are coming together to open more doors to college for students across the Chicagoland area through the We Are Stronger Together Scholarship Gala.
This year’s effort is expected to exceed $1 million in total scholarship support when combined with institutional full-ride donations and fundraising proceeds — making it one of the largest superintendent-led scholarship initiatives in the country, according to UNCF.
The partnership with UNCF was born from the vision of Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, CEO and founder of Southland College Prep Charter High School and superintendent of Matteson School District 162, who envisioned superintendents working collectively with UNCF to raise significant scholarship dollars for their students. Davis and Dr. Johnnie Thomas, superintendent of Rich Township High School District 227, serve as co-chairs of the annual gala.
“Our partnership with UNCF means more resources and more opportunity for students in our community,” Thomas said. “For many families, these scholarships are life-changing.”
Over the past three years, the gala has raised more than $1 million in scholarship support. Last year alone, the event generated more than $400,000, enabling the commission to award 88 Ron Edmond Scholarships to local students.
Tougaloo College, a historically Black college in Tougaloo, Mississippi, just north of Jackson, has awarded 27 full-ride scholarships through this initiative and will provide eight additional full rides this year.
In addition, Dr. Austin Lane, chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will attend the gala to personally present seven Chancellor Scholarships — full-ride awards valued at $108,000 each — totaling $756,000 in scholarship support for local students.
“When we come together as educational leaders, we can make a real difference for students and their families,” said Dr. Anthony Edison, president of the commission. “These scholarships remove barriers and create real pathways to success.”
This year’s honoree is Dr. Donzell Lee, retiring president of Tougaloo College. Under his leadership, Tougaloo expanded the gala’s impact by offering full-ride scholarships as part of the annual scholarship effort.
The gala will also mark the presentation of the inaugural Rev. Jesse Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award. The first recipient of the award will be Jacqueline Jackson, widow of the late civil rights leader, in recognition of her enduring commitment to education, equity and social justice. The award will be accepted on her behalf by Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan.
Lisa M. Rollins, regional development director for UNCF, said the effort shows what can happen when communities rally around their young people.
“When educators and community leaders step up together, students feel that support,” Rollins said. “This initiative is opening doors and helping students take the next step toward their futures.”
For students like Alaya Cherry, that impact is personal.
Cherry, a 2024 graduate of Southland College Prep Charter High School, is now a sophomore at Tougaloo College majoring in economics. She received a scholarship in 2024 through the SCSDD-UNCF partnership.
“Receiving that scholarship changed my life,” Cherry said. “It motivated me in a way I can’t even explain. Knowing that educators in my community believed in me gave me confidence to pursue my dreams.”
UNCF, now in its 81st year, has raised more than $6 billion and helped more than 550,000 students attend and graduate from college since 1944. Each year, UNCF awards more than 11,000 scholarships totaling more than $62 million nationwide.
In just four years, the gala has grown into one of the region’s most anticipated educational fundraising events. The evening will feature fine dining, live entertainment from singer Terisa Griffin and a mass choir composed of more than 400 students from ten high schools, representing one of the largest student performance showcases of its kind in the region.