Athlete of the Month

Kevin Campbell

Olympic Tennis

Too often, there are Chicago kids who want to get involved in sports, but they aren’t aware of the opportunities that are available to them.  Kevin Campbell was one of the lucky ones; during the summer of 2001, Kevin stumbled upon tennis courts in his neighborhood and there began a lifelong passion for and appreciation of tennis.

He immediately joined the Chicago Public Schools' tennis camp and showed such potential and passion for the sport that the coaches invited him to attend their fall program.  A few years later, Love to Serve, a nonprofit organization that offers tennis, education and coaching opportunities to young players, identified Kevin as a stand-out player and invited him to join their program.  Through the program, he was able to make new friends, benefit from training partners, work with academic tutors, coach younger kids and hone his own tennis skills, which resulted in Kevin winning the City Tennis Championships in doubles. 

Because of his commitment to athletics, academics and the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect, Kevin was accepted into the World Sport Chicago Scholarship Program, which offered 56 Chicago student-athletes Kaplan ACT tutoring, Chicago Scholars mentoring and the opportunity to receive one of 16 renewable college scholarships worth up to $10,000 annually ($40,000 total), supported by the MacArthur Foundation.  Since being accepted into the program, Kevin has continued to work hard toward his goal of attending college by completing his ACT tutoring course and attending Chicago Scholars’ workshops created to teach students how to select the right college for them, how to complete the common application and how to write a college essay among other things.  Chicago Scholars’ program gave Kevin structure, a college application completion timeline and he received continual support and encouragement from his mentors and the other WSC Scholars in his group.  At the end of October, Kevin and the rest of the WSC Scholars will interview with college admissions representatives at Chicago Scholars’ Onsite. 

Kevin was one of the lucky ones – he discovered a positive, healthy and productive activity that took him down an unexpected, yet appreciated path.  His advice to younger students is to “stay focused.  Sports and school will open a lot of doors for you – just stay committed.”

Favorite TV Show: House of Payne

Favorite Subject: Math

Favorite Athlete: Usain Bolt

Favorite Summer Olympic Sport: Tennis