CTU Foundation Scholarship Awards 2026
CTU, CTU Foundation honor arts, academic achievement at annual celebration
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates presents the Karen G. Lewis scholarship to Janiya White, Morgan Park High School graduate.
Every year, CTU and the CTU Foundation honor the artistic and academic achievements of our students at the annual Scholarship and Fine Arts Celebration. The event caps off the school year and recognizes the important role arts education and programming play for our young people and their educators. The celebration highlights the academic achievements and diverse talents of our union and our students.
Students, parents and educators filled the CTU hall celebrating the end of a joyful school year and the bright futures ahead for our scholarship recipients. Moving artwork from ChiArts students graced the hall and student performances electrified the audience.
The Beasley Academic Center kicked off the celebration with a beautiful Brazilian Dance, showcasing the amazing talents of the school’s students and its educator choreographer Diana Muhammad. Amazing jumps and twirls were the order of the day for Kenwood High School’s award-winning dance team, coached by Lola Tarara, as they moved to Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough. After School Matters dancers, donned in flowing white, also graced the stage with a moving Praise Dance.
But the main event for the evening was the presentation of academic scholarships, totaling $22,000, to 13 CPS students. The awards honor CTU trailblazers and leaders who shaped public education in Chicago, including the Karen G.J. Lewis Future Teacher Scholarship.
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates addressed the graduates, expressing her deep pride and gratitude for the hard work it took to get to this moment and for the love and support of their parents. She also said their achievements make her feel hope for the future.
“I have hope for the world because you sit before me today and you show me a demonstration of hope,” she said. “We get to be better because you get to do better.”
Thank you to all the students, parents and educators who made the celebration such a joyful event and who dedicate themselves to their school communities every day. And congratulations to all of this year’s scholarship winners. Your hard work and dedication are an inspiration to us all.
Karen G. Lewis / Future Teacher (KGJL) Scholarship
Janiya White, Morgan Park High School
Jackie B. Vaughn Scholarship
Camilla Valas, John Hancock College Prep
Ernestine Cain Brown Scholarship
Chiya Stonewall, Lindblom Math & Science Academy
John E. Desmond Scholarship
Daniel Mulchrone, Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep
Mary J. Herrick Scholarship
Gail Capao, Lakeview High School
David M. Peterson Scholarship
Joesiah Johnson, Dunbar Vocational Career Academy
Beatrice Lumpkin Scholarship
Laila Clay, Kenwood Academy
William ‘Bill’ Buchanan Scholarship
Micah Kholodenko, Prosser Career Academy
Geoffrey Jennings Scholarship
Mya Boatman, Nicholas Senn High School
Dr. Margaret Burroughs Scholarship
Olivia Cabrera, Jones College Prep
John M. Fewkes Scholarship
Travis Smith, Chicago Christian High School
Robert M. Healey Scholarship
Zion Richards, Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School