Click Here for details.
Save Save Save Save
By MARY MITCHELL
STARTING OVER
This is the last time I appear in the Chicago Sun-Times as a regular columnist.
After 34 years with this great newspaper, nearly 30 spent giving the voiceless a platform to air their grievances, it is time to say goodbye.
As we learned from President Joe Biden's gut-wrenching departure from a career he loved for a half-century, saying goodbye is not easy.
But, with your support, I've been able to get used to the idea of stepping out of the spotlight.
When I tell my friends I am fully retiring, the question that pops up is: "What are you going to do next?"
It's easy to answer that question with a grocery list of things, like spending time with grandkids or traveling to exotic places.
In my case, we're talking about great-grands since my grandkids are college-bound and young adults. As much as they love me, they aren't exactly looking forward to spending their leisure hours hanging out with Grandma.
Frankly, traveling halfway around the world to foreign shores doesn't appeal to me as much as it did when I was in my 50s and 60s.
Still, not having a deadline to meet or a project to finish is going to feel strange. After all, the only time that happened was when I gave birth or was recovering from surgery. I also retired in 2019 but returned full time to the paper the next year. In the future, I might write an occasional column.
As a retiree, I'm expected to fill my days pursuing activities that I didn't have time for when I was working full time and raising a family.
I am stepping into a role I've never played: a woman of leisure.
After a lifetime of deadlines, I looked forward to doing whatever, but I'm not sure what that "whatever" would be.
I'd like to be like my BFF. She retired a decade or so ago and is living a healthy, fulfilling life. Her advice was for me to spend time getting to know who I am and learning how to relax.
But a neighbor warned me that I'm retiring at the wrong time. She was referring to the excitement surrounding the coming presidential election that could send a woman of color to the White House.
I have to admit I got a twinge of regret during the hoopla of the Democratic National Convention.
But that twinge turns to excitement when I consider I can now exercise my right to support a particular candidate and, as former first lady Michelle Obama said, "do something."
The truth is, you'll know when you've lost that "fire in the belly," as Mayor Richard M. Daley once said. I felt it in my stomach.
Whenever I run into a young person who tells me that their grandparent used to make them read my column, I am grateful for the platform I was blessed to have for so many years.
But the work being done by a younger generation to address the festering injustices in our society is amazing.
I saw the future of Black journalism up close at the recent National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, which broke attendance records.
A panel sponsored by the Field Foundation featured several young Black journalists who are doing the journalism needed to make Chicago a fairer city. That panel included Tonika Lewis Johnson, creator of the Folded Map Project/ unBlocked Englewood, Tatiana Walk-Morris of the Investigative Project on Race & Equity and Trina Reynolds-Tyler, who won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for her work at the Invisible Institute.
It is one thing to report what is happening in the world and quite another to help shape our responses to it. Young Black journalists have found a way to not only tell our stories but to use the tools needed to fix our problems.
Makeda Crayton, executive director of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in Washington Park, put it this way, and I am paraphrasing: As long as your car is in the driveway, no one else can pull in.
It is time for me to put my car in the garage. I'm thankful for your support over three decades, and I hope you continue to support the Chicago Sun-Times, just as I will.
Member Log-In + Contact Us + Events + PressLines + Job Bank + Advertising Toolbox + Upload Pages
+Regular Member Newspapers
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2025 Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public Relations Specialist cweishaar@studentloan.org (515) 273-7140
Six $1,500 scholarships now open to Midwest high school seniors High school seniors from six Midwest states have a chance to earn the scholarships
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — High school seniors from Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin now have a chance to receive one of six college scholarships worth $1,500. Registration is open now through April 30, 2025. Parents are also able to register their student. High school seniors or their parents may register for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. ISL Education Lending will award $1,500 scholarships to six students whose names are randomly drawn after the registration period. There are no financial need, grade point average or class rank requirements. The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship can be used at any eligible institution in the United States. Registered participants also receive emails highlighting financial literacy tips, such as the importance of early career and college planning and ways to reduce student loan indebtedness. “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is open to legal U.S. citizens who are seniors at a high school in one of the qualifying states during the 2025-2026 school year and who intend to attend college, either virtually or physically, in fall 2025. It is a no-purchase-required program, and full rules and details are available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
# # #
About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2025 Contact Information: Illinois State Medical Society Jann Ingmire janningmire@isms.org (312) 520-9802
Illinois State Medical Society offers free programs for health professionals to address human trafficking awareness
As January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) is offering a free, two-part webinar series aimed at equipping physicians and other health care professionals with the tools to identify and support those individuals exploited by human trafficking. The series, which is available on demand, is designed to challenge stereotypes, clarify the various factors contributing to trafficking, and provide practical approaches for assisting survivors of both sex and labor trafficking. Health care professionals are uniquely positioned to identify and assist trafficking victims due to their frontline access and trusted roles within the community. By offering these programs, ISMS aims to raise awareness and offer resources to professionals who may come across survivors in their care. January 11 is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the month as a whole is dedicated to increasing awareness of trafficking, which affects millions globally. According to a 2017 survey of 127 human trafficking survivors, 69% reported having accessed health care services at some point during their exploitation. Of those, 85% sought treatment for injuries or illnesses related to their trafficking. Despite this, only 6% of health care workers reported having treated someone who was a victim of trafficking. The two no-cost, on-demand programs, available 24/7, offer continuing medical education (CME) credits and are designed to help health care professionals recognize signs of trafficking, improve their response, and ensure proper support for survivors. Human Trafficking: Identification and Response in a Healthcare Setting Presented by Anna Pastor, coordinator, Cook Co. Human Trafficking Task Force Human Trafficking: Practical Approaches and Resources in a Healthcare Setting Presented by Traci Kurtzer, M.D., medical director for trauma informed care and education, Northwestern Medicine The programs are free to all health care professionals and the public.
###
Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!