Latinos Progresando (LP) is a non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of immigrants and their families. In 1998, Luis Gutierrez founded LP and focused its efforts in Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods. LP provides direct legal services for immigrants, initiates community education projects, and advocates for policies that benefit immigrants. LP also works with youth to promote educational attainment and participation in the arts.

In 2007, LP established a scholarship fund in honor of Dr. Angela Perez Miller (1937-2007). Dr. Perez Miller‘s parents emigrated from Mexico to the U.S. in the 1920s and settled in Chicago’s southwest side. After obtaining two master’s degrees and a Ph.D from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Dr. Perez Miller served as a teacher and administrator for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). For more than 30 years, Dr. Perez Miller educated youth in Pilsen and Little Village, advocated for increased bilingual education classes in CPS schools, and demanded increased assistance and resources for Latino children, particularly those with special needs. After retiring from CPS, Dr. Perez Miller taught bilingual education and educational policy classes at UIC and DePaul University.

In addition to being an educator, Dr. Perez Miller served as board president of the Latino Institute, a civil rights think tank that addressed Latino concerns in Chicago. She also served as a member of Senator Miguel Del Valle’s education committee and as a founding member of the Alivio Medical Center, which opened in 1989 to provide primary health care services to Latinos.

Dr. Perez Miller, as noted by the Illinois General Assembly, “will be remembered by all who knew her as a passionate, compassionate, and fearless woman who focused herself fully on the success of Latino schoolchildren in the city of Chicago.”

Sponsors

LP is extremely grateful to the 2012 sponsors of the Dr. Angela Perez Miller Scholarship Fund, Fichera & Miller, P.C. It is through their commitment that LP is able to provide financial assistance to Latino and immigrant youth seeking a college education.

Amount

LP will award six scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. The scholarship will go
towards the 2012-13 academic year.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following qualifications:

● Admitted or enrolled in an undergraduate degree-seeking program or certificate program at an accredited college or university
● Enrolled for at least 6 credit hours for the 2012-2013 academic year
● Demonstrated financial need
● Be a Latino or immigrant student
● Demonstrated commitment to community service
● Reside in the Chicago Metropolitan Area

Requirements

Applicants must submit the following items:

● Application Forms: complete and submit the Background Information Form, Financial Data Form, and the Certification Form (see below)
● Transcript: submit an official transcript from the school you are currently enrolled at
● Resume: submit a one-page resume that includes work experience, academic accomplishments, leadership roles, community service, and other relevant activities
● Letters of Recommendation: submit two letters of recommendation from people who know you well (e.g., high school teacher, counselor, employer, professor, academic advisor, coach); letters should be submitted on official letterhead.
● Financial Aid: submit a copy of your 2012-13 financial aid award letter from your college’s financial aid office
● Tax Form(s): submit a copy of your 2011 federal tax form AND, if you are under 24 years of age, your parents’ 2011 federal tax form
● Essay: submit a three-page essay (double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman) that describes (1) your background and family background, (2) your personal and career goals, (3) your interest in your chosen major/field of study, (4) your community service and/or involvement in extracurricular activities, and (5) how the scholarship will help you while you pursue your education and goals
● Deadline: The completed application must be postmarked by May 4, 2012. The application is not considered complete until all required items are received. Mail all required items to the following address: Latinos Progresando, C/O Scholarship Committee, 3047 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago, IL 60623.
● Interview, Selection, and Notification: The scholarship committee will review all application materials. Finalists will be selected and invited for interviews on either June 7 or June 8, 2012. Students must bring proof of fall registration and a copy of fall tuition bill to the interview. After all interviews are complete, the committee will select the scholarship recipients and will recognize the recipients at LP’s Annual Dinner on June 27, 2012, 6:00p.m.-9:00p.m. All recipients MUST be present at LP’s Annual Dinner to receive the award.

Questions

Please e-mail us at LPAB@latinospro.org or call 773.542.7077.