Virgil Jones, LINK Unlimited joins Program Leadership Council
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- Category: Chicago
- Published on Tuesday, 09 October 2012 20:30
- Written by The Chicago Defender
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- Post 09 October 2012
- By The Chicago Defender
PHOTO CAPTION (Pictured left to right) Virgil Jones, President LINK Unlimited, Glenn Tilton, Chairman of the Midwest, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Link Mentee Demarcus Lacy, student at De La Salle Institute and Patrick Fisher, Founder & President of Creation Investments and Demarcus’ mentor. Fisher and Lacy participated in a panel discussion during the luncheon moderated by Jones.
Virgil Jones, LINK Unlimited joins Program Leadership Council of the Illinois Mentoring Partnership
Official Launch Luncheon held at Harold Washington Library on October 4
(CHICAGO) -- The Illinois Mentoring Partnership launched with a luncheon at the Harold Washington Library on October 4. During the luncheon the Founding Partners, Steering Committee and Program Leadership Council were announced. Virgil Jones, President and CEO of LINK Unlimited will serve on the Program Leadership Council.
The Illinois Mentoring Partnership will be the unifying champion for quality youth mentoring in Illinois, providing resources, technical assistance, heightened public awareness and advocacy for the state's mentoring movement. Nearly 180 youth mentoring organizations, including independent agencies, school-based organizations, faith-based organizations and government and community-based organizations, are known to be operating in Illinois. While most are doing good work with the resources they have, more than 500,000 additional young people statewide could benefit from having a mentor.
During the session LINK student Demarcus Lacy spoke eloquently about the challenges he faces growing up on the west side of Chicago, his mothers persistence in making sure he gets a good education and about the similarities he and his mentor Patrick Fisher share, including growing up in a home without a father. The two began their mentoring relationship when Lacy was a freshman entering De La Salle.
About LINK UNLIMITED
Founded in 1966, LINK Unlimited is Chicago’s oldest mentoring and college preparatory organization. LINK has successfully transitioned 1,700 economically disadvantaged African American youth to college by providing academic support through their high school years. LINK’s scholars’ success through high school is supported through Mentoring, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Tutoring and Study Skills programs. www.linkunlimited.org
