Mikayla Manuel
Waubonsee Community College alumna Mikayla Manuel, of Aurora, was recently selected as the Chicagoland Transfer Award scholarship recipient. The award includes $12,000 for the 2022-2023 academic year at Columbia College Chicago.
"I am so grateful to receive this award," says Manuel. "It will significantly reduce my need to take out a student loan, relieving me of financial stress while I continue my education."
Two years ago, the Aurora Central Catholic High School graduate came to Waubonsee with uncertainty about her identity and a lack of direction for her future. For much of her childhood and youth, Manuel experienced a lack of representation in school, causing her to shy back. "I felt ostracized being a part of a community with a small percentage of non-white representation," said Manuel.
Manuel knew she could not afford college independently, so she nervously applied to Waubonsee's Gustafson Scholarship Program. The program covers two years of tuition and emphasizes the development of leadership skills, personal identity, the importance of accountability, and the value of community service.
While earning the Gustafson Scholarship was life-changing for Manuel, it has done much more than pay for her tuition. Manuel describes the program as having a 'substantial impact' on shaping how she views and accepts herself as a leader. As a Waubonsee student, Manuel experienced a formative, self-discovery process where she learned how to identify her goals and develop confidence in herself and her abilities. It also gave her the self-validation and affirmation necessary to uncover her passion and purpose.
At Waubonsee, Manuel enrolled in a Racial and Ethnic Relations course where she learned how historical practices and film come together to shape commonly held biases, prejudices, and stereotypes. "The class gave me so much perspective on the issues minority communities face and gave me clarity and confidence in my identity as a Black woman," said Manuel.
With a working knowledge of systemic racism, Manuel discovered how to fully embrace her identity. She also felt empowered to pursue a career in film and television after taking a Television and Media Production course at Waubonsee.
"I have come to realize that my end goal within the film industry is to work on projects that challenge systems that create negatively held views of minorities," said Manuel. "I am first-hand aware of the negative impact that underrepresentation and misrepresentation in media can have on minority people, and I dream of contributing to dismantling the conventions in place."
Columbia College Chicago’s Chicagoland Transfer Award is a competitive scholarship that awards 10 scholarships of $12,000 each and one full-tuition scholarship to deserving students from area community colleges. The selection committee revealed that selecting Manuel for the award was easy due to how much she exceeded their expectations.
Manuel believes her experience as a Gustafson scholar at Waubonsee helped her construct a solid and winning scholarship essay. In it, Manuel wrote that most people assumed she attended Waubonsee due to financial reasons or the pandemic. And while finances played a role, the significant motivation was to grow in her personhood.
The Gustafson Scholarship was created to honor Dr. Lucile Gustafson, a member of Waubonsee's original Board of Trustees. To learn more, visit waubonsee.edu/Gustafson.
