Growth, Opportunity, Community.

What do these words have in common? They all describe the inspiration behind our recent mural in collaboration with One Million Degrees (OMD).

We’re a proud partner of OMD, a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports students in ten community colleges across the Chicagoland area. The organization’s holistic approach to mentorship provides recent high school graduates and adult students with comprehensive professional, academic, personal, and financial support.

The participants, also known as scholars, often use the words “growth,” “opportunity,” and “community” to describe the key pillars of the program. Our mural’s bright colors, vibrant floral imagery, and incorporation of these pillars relate the beauty and promise of spring to OMD’s uplifting and empowering mission. Each side of the mural features various symbols, including a stethoscope and a briefcase, to represent the wide array of career paths available to scholars.  

Spring is a time of growth and new beginnings; we hope this mural encourages viewers to consider how they can use this season to help our community flourish. If you’re looking for a way to give back, apply to be a volunteer coach! OMD’s coaches are a critical part of the program’s success. Each coach is matched with a scholar to provide personal and professional guidance, support, and mentorship.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, or to apply to be a coach, visit www.onemilliondegrees.org/coach. Or, if you are planning to attend a community college in the Chicago region and are interested in becoming an OMD scholar, visit www.onemilliondegrees.org/apply.