As the student government president of Francis W. Parker School in Lincoln Park, I was elected by the majority of the 340 high school students to lead.
To understand the weight of this, you must understand that I look like less than 10% of my classmates, yet they still chose me to lead and represent them. They chose me because they recognize the kind of leader I am and the unique perspective that I bring to my school from outside of the Lincoln Park community.
If teenagers can recognize the importance of being around people with different life experiences to gain new knowledge and perspectives, I hope that the adults who live near Parker can do the same.
Because Parker’s School and Neighborhood Improvement Proposal is about more than Lincoln Park. It’s about expanding access to quality education for students all over the city of Chicago.
What Parker plans to do with this proposal is directly aligned with the school’s mission statement. For 125 years, half the life of this country, Parker has educated students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity to become responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society. Parker is not only a leader among prestigious schools in regard to academics, but it is also a leader in terms of helping bridge the gap for students from low-income backgrounds.
I don’t know of another school taking the steps that Parker is taking to increase educational affordability and access. And supporting Parker’s efforts through this proposal, well, that’s just the kind of project the city of Chicago and its City Council should be embracing.
With this proposal, Parker would be able to add 125 more students to our student body. The expansion would also allow Parker to provide financial assistance to 55 to 65 more students every year, on top of the approximately 185 who already receive it today.
That means more students, just like me, getting a chance at a first-rate education and an investment in our future.
I am fortunate enough to have experienced both a public and a private, independent school education in my academic journey. I grew up in North Lawndale, an underrepresented, low-income and predominantly Black neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.
I attended a K-8 public school, and I first learned about Parker through the nonprofit organization High Jump Chicago. High Jump exists so that students like me can be exposed to a rigorous academic curriculum that may not be offered at their local community school, and to be exposed to institutions such as Parker.
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Growing up, I would’ve never imagined going to Parker, but I’m so glad I made the decision to apply. This school has afforded me an otherworldly education. The teachers and faculty have supported me every step of my high school journey. And the administrators are still finding ways to positively influence the trajectory of my future.
For the rest of my life, I will remain forever grateful for this school because it has opened so many doors for me. I consider Parker a second home, and it always will be. I don’t want my story to be unique, though; and if this proposal is accepted, then it won’t have to be.
The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards has the opportunity to favorably recommend this proposal, and afterward, the City Council can approve it. I urge them to vote in favor so more students get the chance to have the experience I’ve had. To receive the kind of education I’ve received.
This is an investment in our city and in the future of students just like me.
Trisen Phillips Jr. is a senior at Francis W. Parker School.
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