Early Outreach Program Class of 2018 Commencement and Reception

Please attend the 2018 Early Outreach Program Class of 2018 Commencement and Reception.

The Early Outreach Program is part of the UIC Urban Health Program. The Urban Health program aims to recruit, retain, and graduate underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students, specifically African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans, in the health professions, and to expand educational opportunities for these populations at the pre-college (K-12), undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.  The Early Outreach Program is the pre-college program.  EOP has served more than 25, 000 students in the Chicago land area since the 1980’s.

Commencement Speaker:

Mr. Johnathan Banks, Author of “Raise Your GPA…”

Jonathan Banks is motivated to see people thrive by challenging them to grow and inspiring them to rise. He actively serves his church and community and strives to help others reach their God-given potential in every area of life. Jonathan earned an undergraduate degree in engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Northwestern University. Jonathan has enjoyed an amazing career path which has included Non-Profit Leadership, Youth Ministry, Food Ingredient & Flavor Research, Real Estate Finance and Business Development, Teaching and Tutoring K-12 & College level courses. He currently serves as the Director of Ministry at Apostolic Faith Church where Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D. is the Pastor. His own academic and tutoring experiences helped him form an effective approach to success that he willingly shares with the next generation. Jonathan is a passionate educator who serves his church and community in Illinois where he resides with his wife, Jacinta, and their teenage sons.