Neva Wheeler

Neva is a graduate of Leadership CONNECTIONS, and also serves as a Peer Counselor Supervisor.  She is a Computer Technology Major, and is also the 2001 Education Award  recipient.

I participated in the Leadership CONNECTIONS program for two years following my junior and senior years of high school.  This very powerful experience has stayed with me throughout my college career.  It was very inspiring to meet so many strong, motivated individuals.  The program boosted my confidence and helped me strengthen skills in areas such as interview techniques, job hunting, public speaking, networking, and many others.  A particular segment on health and nutrition prompted me to become certified and work part-time during college as an aerobics instructor.  The interview techniques I learned helped me land several jobs, including an exciting summer position working in the luxury sky boxes for the Chicago White Sox baseball team and an internship working for National Opinion Research Center where I was able to put my college experience to use.  I am graduating from Illinois Institute of Technology in May 2004 and plan to begin working right away.  Within the next couple of years I hope to obtain a Masters degree in either economics or public policy.  I have settled in Chicago and see the need for a program like CONNECTIONS here in the inner city.  I would love to be a part of founding a leadership program that could touch the lives of these young women the way mine was.