Noble School Flames Day brings future UIC students to campus
More than 150 soon-to-be high school graduates visited UIC on May 7 to tour the campus, talk to alums and learn what the university can offer them. All were already committed to attending UIC this fall, and all were part of the Noble School Network, a group of 17 area high schools.
This was the third annual Noble School Flames Day, the result of a collaborative effort between UIC and the Noble Network. The partnership aims to improve college retention and success rates for its high school graduates. The students are predominantly Black and Latino, and many are the first in their families to go to college.
“We are so excited to welcome you all to UIC,” said Aisha El-Amin, UIC executive associate vice provost for student success and belonging, as she greeted the students. “We are so looking forward to all the success that you will have here and all the great things you will continue to do in the world as you matriculate from here.”
Aidé Acosta, chief college officer at Noble Schools, said the initiative gives Noble students a space where they can see themselves as future Flames and learn about the support they will have when they step onto UIC’s large campus.
“It’s a big transition for our students, but they are coming to an institution that embraces their identity, meets them where they’re at and simultaneously provides them with adequate academic coaching to really give them a road map to succeed and to thrive,” Acosta said.
A panel of Noble alums shared what life was like at UIC and answered questions ranging from how to navigate college to more practical concerns such as packing snacks and lunch to save money.
The pace of college is very different from high school, so they should try to not miss any classes, they told the students. Another panelist suggested going to campus the day before classes start every semester to figure out routes to classrooms. More practical advice: staying organized with a whiteboard for class, study and work schedules.
Daniel Martinez, a Noble alum and a UIC finance student who graduated in May, took part in the question-and-answer forum. He suggested reaching out to student groups such as the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services, or LARES, as well as the Association of Latino Professionals for America, both which helped him. He also spoke about studying abroad and getting a finance job after college.
“It feels like a full-circle moment,” said Martinez. “Having insight from people who are in the midst of it and being living proof that you can figure it out, and you’ll still be all right, is super helpful and inspiring.”
As part of the Noble School Flames Day, students took part in break-out sessions where units, including LARES, discussed how they support students.
One of those Noble students, UIC College Prep senior Nicholas Tata, said he plans to start at UIC in the fall with a goal of becoming a history teacher. He sat in on a LARES session where a speaker discussed how the group was available to support students during their time at UIC.
“Today is really important because I get to learn more about the campus that I’m going to be studying at, and I’m learning what resources I can use that will help me improve my life in the future,” he said.
Tata also said the session helped him make one-on-one connections with staff and create an early bond with them.
At the session, he connected with Luis Duarte, executive director of LARES, who said the day serves to help students succeed in the fall and even beyond their undergraduate careers. Duarte said students and their families had many questions about the Aspire program, a new grant available this year that covers tuition for eligible students whose family income is $75,000 or less.
“We want to plant that seed early on to make sure that if they are interested in going to grad school, what do we do right now to prepare them for that?” said Duarte. “This model of bringing Noble to UIC is a good way to engage with the students.”
During a tour of the campus, Golder College Prep senior Alexis Herrera said he was undecided on a major but leaning toward accounting or finance. He said participating in the UIC-Noble Flames event gave him a chance to see the campus and learn about the financial and student–support programs available to him and other incoming students.
“There are people who can guide you and show you around the campus,” said Herrera. “It gives you more of a feeling of security.”
Butler College Prep senior Zaniyah Martinez was especially excited to see the rooms in the residence halls because she hopes to live on campus. Martinez, who is considering majoring in psychology, said she liked the quietness of the campus.
“I learned that there are different types of ways that I could get help,” she said. “I like that they do this because I can get information about the school, and they help me know what I should know.”
