Pillar Haywood Talcove “So far, Illinois has lost $1 billion to fraud, at least. Regardless of how you feel, politically, Democrat or Republican, the money that you’re losing could meet all the social program needs that you would ever want for your population.”
Pillar Jeremiah Griffin “I want to tell my story so that kids that deal with learning disabilities or people telling them, ‘They can’t be something,’ feel like they can be something, and they don’t listen to the negativity.”
Pillar Chris Stephens “There’s a lot of investors nationally that I know that will not invest in Illinois. There [are] large investors pulling out of this state because they don’t want to pay for other people’s bad mistakes.”
Pillar Marius Powell “You need stable housing to get yourself together, hold a job and contribute to society. Without proper housing people end up using more resources.”
Pillar Zaniya Campbell “It’s crazy to think about how far I have come. I’m very lucky to have had counselors and social workers like Miss Ashley and Miss Angelina, and that special programs like Curt’s Café exist to see the good in me when school didn’t.”
Pillar Ashley Cullen-Williams “A lot of funding gets diverted or allocated to other things before students immediate needs are considered. Students need to be well in order to excel at life. Students need access to supportive environments, quality connections and college and career opportunities.”
Pillar CJay Harmer “The need for social-emotional learning has gone through the roof, and that’s what makes what out superintendent did so extraordinary.”
Pillar Olivia Waldron “To continue supporting an organization that was fighting to keep us all out of the school buildings just didn’t make sense to me.”
