By Charlotte H.
On May 1, ChiArts seniors gathered in the auditorium to celebrate Decision Day, when students formally commit to a college or career path.
Seniors, many of them wearing college sweatshirts and T-shirts, took turns going to the stage to announce their college or career decision, followed by a reception. ChiArts counselor Meredith Nieuwsma says, “The best part of Decision Day was celebrating our amazing students. Seniors have worked so hard this year and overcome so much, and I’m just thrilled for each member of the class of 2025 and their next steps. They all have so much to be proud of!”
According to SchoolLinks, 87 percent of ChiArts seniors will be attending college. Seventy-one percent are committing to four-year colleges or universities, 15 percent to two-year colleges, 3 percent to employment, and 1 percent to a gap year or service learning (10 percent are unreported). Sixty-one percent of ChiArts’ college-bound students will stay in Illinois. Others will travel to 21 states across the country, from California to Texas to Massachusetts.
Overall, ChiArts’ Class of 2025 earned over $6.6 million in scholarships. One of these students was senior Julissa Ortiz, who pursued the Posse Scholarship. She recalls that it was a long, “intense” process full of essays and interviews. But “it was all worth it in the end,” she says, as she got a full ride to Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, where she plans to study Pre-Law or Astrophysics.
For some students, the college search process helped clarify their career goals. Senior Adalys Cristobal says, “I really thought about what I want to do. I planned out my day and imagined it and saw if it seemed like, ‘Yeah, I could do that. That’s how I want my life to be.’” This led her to realize her passion for early childhood education, which she will study at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
Many students expressed excitement about finding a perfect-fit school. Senior Nayeli Lopez, who will be studying English at DePaul University in Chicago, says, “When I went to tour the school, it just felt right. I really liked the community, I liked the energy of the school.”
Others dealt with setbacks, such as not getting into a first-choice school or not getting as much financial aid as they hoped. Still, many of these students felt they ended up where they were meant to be. As Ms. Nieuwsma says, “There are many pathways to your dreams—sometimes you have to look beyond what you imagined your path to be and create a new one—because you are all artists!”
For underclassmen thinking about their own futures, Ms. Nieuwsma advises, “I would suggest exploring post-secondary plans early and often.” Lopez agrees, adding, “For college applications, do not wait till the last minute. Don’t wait till the month before to start on scholarships. You should start months ahead and just be on top of everything. It’s not that scary when you just know what you are doing.”
ChiArts’ Class of 2025 will graduate on May 27 at the Harris Theater. Congrats to our seniors!
