Hall of Honor Unveiled at CIS School Partner, Taylor Elementary

Visit a Chicago Public Schools building, and you’ll often experience how creativity and history meld into inspiration for the students who attend. Each school’s campus has a unique take on ways to create beautiful spaces that encourage current and future generations to succeed.

At Randolph Elementary School on the South Side, a mural of its namesake, civil rights activist Asa Philip Randolph, greets students as they walk inside. The words, “show up,” “own up,” “aim up,” “rise up,” are arranged in blue mosaic. At Michele Clark High School on the West Side, murals created by Chicago fine artist Max Sansing cover entire brick walls of the building’s east and west sides. They feature young people looking towards the future with hopeful gazes.

And at Barton Elementary School on the South Side, an interior staircase lists universities on each step, all colleges where their alumni have attended. As students make their way to the classroom, they are reminded of the steps they are taking on their journey to graduation — and towards post-secondary education.

This fall, CIS school partner Taylor Elementary School created its own way to inspire current students to achieve. Counselor Milton Katsaros designed a “Hall of Honor,” which highlights different Taylor Elementary alumni and the careers they have pursued.

Rather than feature prominent national figures or even famous Chicagoans, Mr. Katsaros featured Taylor alumni who represented a variety of career paths — everything from a U.S. Marines Officer, a chef, a UX designer, and a pediatrician to a security guard and a teacher.

One notable alumnus on the wall is the current principal, Dennis Bulmer.

For current students, the Hall of Honor showcases that anything is possible when they invest in their learning and believe in themselves. It also shows the wide range of career paths that former students pursued.

This October, Taylor Elementary hosted an unveiling ceremony for the community, sharing their new addition with students, parents, teachers, and school staff members.

“Having seen the wall grow from Mr. Katsaros’s idea to a reality, I can feel the excitement in the school surrounding it,” CIS Senior School Partnership Specialist Jill said. “Every day, students walk past the wall and see these role models — people who sat in the exact same classrooms as the students do now — and know that they can follow in their footsteps. It’s very powerful!”

Outside of the Hall of Honor, Jill has partnered with Taylor in other ways to support students’ college and career awareness.

Over the last two years, Jill has linked students with organizations in CIS’ extensive network of community partners, including the University of Chicago, where students participated in a campus tour and a basketball mentoring program.

She connected them with career speakers from the Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education, Hartgrove Hospital, and Zurich, and she even spoke at their Career Day two years ago, sharing her experience in the nonprofit space.

This school year, Jill’s work will continue to support schools like Taylor, helping them provide opportunities for students that expand their horizons and motivate them to stay in school.