HEAR Scholarship Foundation

Great organization, I can’t start to explain how many lives have been changed by the HEAR Foundation. Amazing board, staff & mission. They make the American story so true by providing an education to individuals who otherwise would not have the opportunity to. They have changed lives through education, leading to jobs and unleashing the American dream

Have had the pleasure of working with the HEAR foundation to find top talent at the graduate level for our organisation. This is a great institution trying to break the societal barriers that unfortunately continue to exist in Chicago. They do great work and have helped many first generation college students realise their potential and I have seen firsthand the quality of the scholars they look to support.

The Hear Foundation provides scholarships and mentors to college students in need. The organization does a terrific job identifying scholarship recipients AND thoughtfully matching these recipients with volunteer mentors. The foundation recognizes the supports both necessary and helpful to pave the way for a successful college experience.

I am a mentor for the HEAR Foundation. Every student receives a mentor who supports the student every step of the way during the college experience. For many of the scholars who are first generation college students, this is so very important and guarantees the strong graduation and success rate of HEAR scholars. The HEAR foundation is like a family....scholars form bonds with each other, their mentors, the Board members, and their successes are celebrated. Birthday cards and "treat" packages keep students aware of all the support and encouragement around them.

I had the courtesy of having HEAR support me throughout college. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable, but they are also supportive, dependable, and caring. The fact that I still keep in touch after graduating from college 4 years ago should say it all!

The ability to connect students to the resources of the HEAR Foundation is unique. The foundation attempts to become part of the students educational lifecycle throughout college including mentoring them with morale support lifelines. They demonstrate that is goes beyond the scholarship and it takes a village and the foundation is ready to be that support for the students. They are making a connection that will last a lifetime for many of the students as well as for those involved in the work of the foundation.

Being a part of HEAR really helped boost my confidence. As a first generation college student, I often felt a lot of imposter syndrome during college and placed a lot of pressure on myself to be successful. HEAR and the network of people that supports it helped me work through a lot of those feelings. Whether it be a workshop to think about job interviews, a social event with other scholars talking about their experiences with similar feelings, or a speaker sharing their own version of success, I grew a lot emotionally and mentally through my time as an active HEAR scholar. It was also so important for me to hear from other people outside of my family that I was doing good work and I belonged where I was. It was so reassuring that I had people in my corner to celebrate my successes, work through the failures, and even argue with the financial aid office on my behalf when things went awry. Finally, HEAR taught me a lot about networking. Attending the annual fundraiser allowed me to get a lot more comfortable talking to new folks as an introvert. And as a former, self-proclaimed networking hater, I have gotten every single job in my adult life through networking.

I became involved with HEAR Foundation through a friend of mine and I was hooked immediately. The candidates they asked me to interview were underprivileged High School graduates who excelled in school and in the community. Their stories brought me to tears. All of the kids we interviewed deserved a scholarship but we only could give 30 out of 500 candidates. What I also love about Hear Foundation is that the administration staff is mostly volunteer and about 90% of your donation goes directly to these well deserved kids!

I have been involved with the HEAR Foundation almost ten years. With the 2018 class we have given scholarships to over 50 well deserved young men and women going to college. The 2019 class will have 31 scholars graduating from high schools throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. These students would not have the opportunity without our help. Each scholar has a mentor which makes our scholarship program unique and successful. Our work has been successful with the help of our many volunteers and we want to continue to grow our program. Please visit our web site to learn more and join us.

I've been part of the Scholarship Selection Committee and have witnessed the deep motivation of students who have overcome the odds and excelled in high school. They've been accepted at top-notch universities, but might not meet the financial gap to attend college. By providing over 100 scholarships to these incredibly deserving students, and with a 100% graduation rate to these well-mentored scholars, the HEAR Foundation changes lives!

I have been involved with the HEAR Foundation for the past four years. The HEAR Foundation is more than an organization that awards scholarships to high school graduates. The foundation provides mentorships, skills workshops, and guidance for these college bound students. The HEAR board members, scholars and volunteers become part of a family who are truly committed to the success of both its current and graduated HEAR scholar recipients. I am proud to be associated with this organization.

I became involved with HEAR through an acquaintance who is a board member. I appreciate their mission of providing not only financial assistance, but also emotional support throughout the college process. I volunteered on the selection committee and was blown away by all those who are part of the foundation- from previous students who received the award to the board members- everyone was dedicated to the mission. This is a foundation that truly believes in the power of education and supports their scholars in all realms of life to ensure that they are successful. There is a high level of investment on both the scholars' and the board members' ends that makes this such a special foundation and one that I'm glad to have discovered!

The HEAR Foundation is incredible. All of the HEAR staff are extremely friendly and wonderful to work with. They empower students to be successful and support them throughout college and beyond. Amazing nonprofit doing excellent work.

I have been a donor to The Hear Foundation for many years. I’ve been extremely impressed with the selection process used to identify needy students who become Hear scholars. Many of these student scholars have already graduated and are now pursuing their dream career.

As a long time donor I am extremely proud of the people that we have chosen to receive scholarship funding.

GREAT ORGANIZATION !!!!


Len Wislow

The HEAR Foundation is laser-focused on its mission to help Chicago high school students overcome financial barriers to attain a college education. Having observed and supported their work since their incorporation, I've been impressed by the HEAR Foundation's adaptive leadership and ability to focus on community assets to accelerate their success. The HEAR Foundation recognizes that college access is ineffectual on its own, and provides critical mentoring for their scholars throughout their collegiate tenure. Well done!!

I have been aware of the HEAR Foundation for ten years. Over that time, HEAR has provided scholar ships to college for deserving students from the greater Chicago area who have a financial need to make attending college a reality.
In many cases the recipient is the first in the family to attend college.
Each scholar also is provided a mentor to help each recipient with guidance and counsel about the college experience

I've worked with the Hear foundation by nominating bright talented students for their college scholarships for the past two years. They are incredibly professional and kind and overall Hear is a great organization!

The HEAR Foundation is a truly impactful organization that I am proud to be associated with. I often hear the Board members refer to the organization and everyone it touches as "family". This idea is at the center of all that they do. HEAR is doing their part to leave this world a better place and I look forward to seeing the continued impact they have on our community.

Giving financial support for college to local outstanding Chicago-area kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend is all I need to know. Every person deserves an opportunity and HEAR provides it.

I was exposed to the HEAR Foundation through interaction from board members, volunteers, and thru direct interaction with funding HEAR's many endeavors.

I became a donor to assist in helping the mission of HEAR.
HEAR is such a broad program I enjoy donating because I know its helping to strengthen the community around me and also in Guatemala.

HEAR assists others achieve their dream of an education. They not only provide worthy students a scholarship to give them a hand up in financing their dream. They back that student up with mentors from the community and create a network of support to follow the student through the process of obtaining their education.

They annually provide chickens to the community to ensure a couple of good meals to those in need. The Scholars volunteer their time which teaches them the importance of giving back to others.

Also a good portion of the Board went to Guatemala to assist Casa Hogar in building a Hen House to assist in giving food to the community while also providing educational needs.

The volunteer hours that I have seen the board and other members of HEAR provide is outstanding. The value of giving someone an education and teaching them to continue to help their community is such a great value.

I am excited to continue donating with HEAR and see them grow in my community.

As a high school counselor I am always on the lookout for organizations to partner with and/or suggest to students who are looking for scholarship opportunities. The HEAR Foundation has been a WONDERFUL resource for our school. One of our 2016 graduates won a 20,000 scholarship and is now attending UIC at no cost. His dreams came true because of the HEAR Foundation and I overwhelmed by their generosity. Without these types of donors, many high-achieving students would not be able to attend a four-year college/university.

About four years ago I received great news that I was chosen to receive a college scholarship from the HEAR Foundation. Throughout my undergraduate years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I was able to network with the board and volunteers. Being part of the organization also meant I had a close group of people who can provide career advice and opportunities. Things are going well and I am now in my first year medical school at UIC. Their support has contributed to my success. I still make the time to be involved with the HEAR Foundation such as volunteering and networking events because I support its mission to help students go to college.

The HEAR Foundation gave me a support system I could rely on throughout my college experience. Whether it was for assistance with internships, classes, or life, the HEAR network was there for me through it all.

Currently, I am a first-year student at Denison University in Ohio. I come from the inner city of Chicago. Fortunately, I've been able to receive private high school education from another scholarship fund that invested in my future, much like the HEAR Foundation. So, I must confess that the HEAR Foundation is an absolutely fabulous organization that's been extremely helpful to me as I've transitioned into college. Not only have they granted me a very generous monetary contribution to attend school, they've also provided me with a support system to help me get through the emotional aspect of attending an out-of-state university. The employees that I've had contact with are always incredibly nice and helpful. When I've spoken to them live on the telephone, I can sense that they genuinely care about me and want to do everything they can to ensure my success. Another awesome quality that the HEAR staff has is that they always go above and beyond to satisfy us scholars. And if I have questions, they won't hesitate to go through leaps and bounds to ensure that they get answered. I truly admire their dedication to us scholars. Little do they know, the money they've given us is not all that matters; but rather, the fact that they support us 100% is what really means the most. Thank you HEAR Foundation!

Fantastic organization, that last year helped, via scholarships, six different financially needy individuals pay for their college educations. Hear Foundation is a well run, well thought out, endeavor, that puts every dollar at work for the needy.

I am going to post this up on the site. Let me know if there is anything I should add or delete? I am a freshmen at Marquette University studying to become a civil engineer. I come from a low income family and grew up in Chicago. Growing up my family constantly moved. I attended seven different schools before high school. Most of my friends and family did not graduate from high school and are affiliated with gangs. My parents dropped out freshmen year of high school and had me at a young age. Being the first one in my family to attend college is hard. I had no one to tell me how hard college is, how to enroll, let alone what college was. I am the first stepping stone for my family, and all the eyes are on me. I have cousins that look up to me and a younger brother who is in high school. I was nervous, but the HEAR foundation helped me step by step. They, HEAR members, would share their opinions about what was the best college for me, and help my family and me by granting me a scholarship. I cannot describe how fortunate I am. The HEAR foundation is helping me fulfill my dream without them I really do not know where I would be.

As a parent of a Hear Foundation scholar, I have had a first hand experience with the wonderful things that HEAR does for children with higher education scholarships.At the scholarship interview, I was greeted by Clare. She let me know how exceptional my daughter Colleen was. While waiting in the waiting room while my daughter interviewed, I had the pleasure of speaking to other scholarship finalists and their parents. It was inspiring to hear these talented students speak of their dreams and goals.Without the HEAR scholarship, many of these hard-working students would not be able to pursue these dreams. It is wonderful that HEAR recognizes these amazing students by honoring them with a scholarship.My daughter and my family are thankful for this wonderful opportunity.

I was a member of the HEAR Scholarship Committee. I was extremely impressed with the work that HEAR is doing to promote higher education for young people right here in this country. HEAR does a lot of fantastic work in developing nations as well. HEAR is also working for equality in education here it the United States through its scholarship program. HEAR is helping bright young people afford a college education that they otherwise would not be able to achieve. The students whom I met through this program were truly inspiring. They had worked hard, overcome various obstacles, and were admitted to top institutions such as Northwestern, Marquette, and the University of Chicago. HEAR's mission to help these students pursue higher education shows their dedication to providing opportunities for future leaders of our society.

For the last 3 years I have been traveling with a small group of volunteers to help develop programs for a girl's school /orphanage in rural Guatemala. We have taught them to sew and make jewelry which they can then sell back an enthusiastic market in the US. Thanks to the sponsorship of the HEAR foundation we have been able to turn 100% of those profits back to the girl's to provide for food, clothing and to cover the costs of utilities and housing maintenance. My experiences with the girls in Guatemala and the working with the HEAR Foundation has been a source of inspiration and gratification. All the volunteers and sponsors have been kind, hardworking and focused on the main goal - improving the quality of life for the girls of the Marta y Maria Orphanage. Particularly impressive has been the group's (volunteers, sponsors and donors)flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing needs and circumstances as they arise. For example, the volunteers came to the orphanage to build a playset but enthusiastically addressed and corrected plumbing /sewage issues when they became aware of them.

AMAZING PROGRAM! The goal of Hijas is to help the orphaned girls become financially independent. The program teaches the girls to create beautiful and unique jewelry and bags. The directors of Hijas have wholeheartedly dedicated their time, resources, passion, and love to help provide the girls with a better life.

My daughter has been to Jalapa, Gautemala, numberous times, and has been involved in teaching the girls at the orphanage how to sew, and bead (even making the beads and drying them in kilns). Both of these skills are useful in producing a product that can be sold so that they can have money for everyday things such as: food, transportation, clothes, etc. The girls pull at your heart strings as they are happy with the most meager things that we take for granted.

You could not find a foundation more selflessly dedicated to a cause as HEAR. Specifically the work accomplished in Jalapa, Guatemala has truly transformed the quality of life for these girls and turned made an uncertain future a considerably more brighter.

As I was a volunteer with a Med/Surg team in Jalapa, Guatemala our group became aware of the needs of the girls at the Casa Hogar a Girls Home/Orphanage. Several nurses from the team determined the needs and started a Sewing and a Jewelry project. I have been teaching the girls sewing and travel to Guatemala three times a year to continue this project. As a retired RN and a grandmother of 5, I see the needs of these girls and they've stolen my HEART.

The work the HEAR Foundation does in Jalapa is simply stunning. On paper, the success stories go on and on: • On-going coursework for the girls teaching them skills to lead independent lifestyles once they come of age. • Expanding the building to increase capacity and provide shelter for additional children. • Building a playground, establishing a meal plan to provide nourishing meals, building an irrigation system to promote self-sufficiency, etc, etc... The true impact the HEAR Foundation has had can be summed up in the smiles on the girls’ faces and can be seen in the way they live their day to day lives. In its relatively short existence, the HEAR Foundation has empowered the girls of the Marta y Maria Orphanage to overcome their troubled pasts and create brighter futures; I can’t wait to see what the next 5 years will bring!

I have traveled to Jalapa, Guatemala with the Hijas group to teach the young women who are residents there how to make jewelry. The goal is to teach them skills, while at the same time teaching them how to run a business - from quality control, inventory, leadership, accountability, marketing, etc. We made products throughout the week and then had a sale at the end of the week with a volunteer group that was in Jalapa. The girls saw their products sold, were able to talk about how they were made, and completed the sales. They then were able to bring the money back to the orphanage to help pay for food and basic necessities. It was wonderful to see the girls earn self confidence and thrive in this situation, and know that they will go on to be self sufficient in the future that Hijas is creating for them. They now have hope in their future.

I have contributed to the Hear foundation for a while, but I really got involved last November when I traveled with the team to Guatamala. I discovered first hand how women have no value in that country. The Hear foundation has taught the girls how to sew and make jewlery. The Hear foundation is now in the process of teaching them nutrition and growing their own food. I am so impressed that this organazation is not just giving hand outs, but teaching them that they are special and that they can be self sufficent. The love I seen between girls and volunteers was amazing. I personally am going back in November again to help with a irrigation system we are putting in. That is only a small part of why I am going back. The main reason is, I thought I was going to give out all my love but instead I recieved way more then what I gave out. I was very impressed how they can be so happy and have so much love in there situation. These girls are there because they have been raped, mistreated or abused,( mainly by men). I think the Hear foundation has diffently saved those girls life. They have given them more then food and shelter and water, they have given them HOPE.

Flashback to November 2009 as our van approaches a girls' orphanage in Jalapa, Guatemala. I anxiously await one of the nuns unlocking the gate to let us begin our work there. I look out the wndow and see beautiful, smiling faces ready and willing to greet us. I look into their eyes and see only beauty in all of the girls and shyness in some. We were greeted with open arms and a kindness to strangers that I have never experienced. The H.E.A.R. Foundation is responsible for these girls trying to become economically independent through education. While I was there other volunteers were working on building a huge playground, enhancing their safety by installing outdoor lighting, repairing the sewer system, and teaching the girls how to make jewelry and sew handbags and other items for profit. I painted outdoor games so the girls could have fun when they were done with chores and homework. I was so impressed with the organization of this trip. Everyone had their assignments but all were ready and willing to help one another,volunteer or child, whenever the opportunity arose. I think the most important attributes the team had was the love and concern for the children. My experience teaching English was wonderful as well as a little intimidating. I am an elementary school teacher and speak very little Spanish. There were 15 girls in the classroom and most wanted to learn English. There was one girl that stood out and her name was Marie. Marie would stay after class by herself studying English. She was filled with curiosity and passion for learning. One night I walked into the classroom to pick up some materials ,and there she was trying to teach herself English. I realized that a lot of us take education for granted and complain about homework and too many papers to write. Marie would never complain. She taught me that education is gift not to take lightly but to work hard. The orphanage is situated in a rural area flled with extreme poverty. With the help of the H.E.A.R Foundation many of these girls will live a life with purpose and for some the cycle of poverty will end. I felt honored to be with such a quality group...someday I will return. extreme poverty. The girls do their laundry in sinks outside, and hang their clothes outside to dry.

I have traveled to Jalapa, Guatemala with people sponsored by the HEAR Foundation. We work with girls and young women in an orphanage there. I have concentrated on the sewing project. We have taught young women the proper use of sewing machines and basic sewing skills. They have been able to create at least three different purses/bags and dog leashes. They use fabrics from their country. This experience is very enriching for us who go. The girls love to have us, and they are so willing to learn new things. They are proud of their accomplishments, as they deserve to be. We also spend time giving lots of hugs and positive feedback to their work. The smiles on their faces I continue to see throughout the year. I went with the idea of helping them, but they have taught me much more than I have given.