2021 Winners
Congratulations to the Lakeside Bank 4th Annual "Write On!" Creative Writing Scholarship Winners!
Following a city-wide contest, two Chicago Public High School seniors were selected as the 2021 Lakeside Bank "Write On!" Creative Writing Challenge Scholarship Winners!
Each receives a $2,500 award. Winners were surprised at their homes and presented with giant checks and helium balloons, “Publisher Clearing House” style! Tears and cheers (and hugs! We can hug again!) were exchanged between winners and their families as they celebrated. Congrats, Jordan & Rosabella! We’ve provided a summary of their stories below. And a brief video of each presentation.
The Lakeside Bank 2021 Scholarship Winners are:
Jordan Allen - Kenwood High School
Rosabella Hernandez – Brooks High School
Jordan Allen – Kenwood High School
Congratulations to Jordan Allen!
Fantastic work, Jordan! She’s a Winner of this year’s Lakeside Bank "Write On!" Creative Writing Challenge. Jordan was awarded a $2,500 Lakeside Scholarship toward her first year at either Columbia College or Northern Illinois, where she plans to study animation, illustration, and writing. Jordan, a recent graduate of Kenwood High School, wrote a very inspiring and charismatic story that moved us all.
Her story outlines the difficult life of a young, dark-skinned, African American girl who struggled to fit in and feel accepted. On top of dealing with her sloppy, alcoholic father at home, she is forced to hear unwanted comments about her color from all her lighter-skinned classmates at school. After sitting next to an elderly woman on the bus who was completely mesmerized by the beauty of a stray black cat, the young girl was inspired to realize her dark skin was beautiful and to take no more from her classmates. The black cat’s symbolism uncovered by the older woman, motivated the young girl to gain confidence and find happiness within herself. Jordan has demonstrated her talent to write, and we look forward to seeing her succeed in the future!
Pictured: Jordan Allen and her mother
Rosabella Hernandez – Brooks High School
Congratulations to Rosabella Hernandez!
Well done, Rosabella! She’s a Winner of this year’s Lakeside Bank "Write On!" Creative Writing Challenge. Rosabella was awarded a $2,500 Lakeside Scholarship toward her first year at Antioch College in Ohio, where she plans to study art history. Rosabella, a recent graduate of Brooks High School, wrote an imaginative and engaging story that kept us all on our toes!
Her story was about a fictional family mystery: The disappearance of the writer’s great-grandfather. The writer’s grandmother refused to talk about her father, yet she kept a framed picture of him in a red flannel shirt. The grandmother would stare for hours at a tree outside the family home, telling the writer how the many dark knots on the tree symbolized a tortured soul captured within. Years later, when the grandmother passed away, the writer moved into the family home and had the old tree torn down. Only to find pieces of red flannel… Rosabella has proven her great writing skills and we look forward to seeing her thrive in the future!
Pictured: Rosabella Hernandez
Pictured: Erica Chianelli and Alan Rose
Lakeside’s annual "Write On!" Creative Writing Challenge is open to:
- Current CPS High School Seniors, graduating this June in good standing.
- Students accepted to an accredited two-or-four-year college or university.
- Those with financial need as demonstrated by the FAFSA Expected Family Contribution.
Lakeside Bank believes in the power of education. “It is the single most important tool we have to effect meaningful social change” says Alan Rose, Lakeside’s Sr. VP, Chief Marketing Officer. "Write On!" is one of Lakeside Bank’s multiple education programs.
Lakeside Bank is a privately owned, 55-year-old Chicago area bank with $2.4 billion dollars in assets.
