Athlete of the Month:
Josph Laseter
Track and Field
by Stephanie Miller (WSC Staff)
In January 2010, Joseph Laseter was accepted to the World Sport Chicago Scholarship Program and received Kaplan ACT tutoring, Chicago Scholars mentoring and was eventually named a WSC Scholarship recipient, receiving $10,000 annually ($40,000 total), supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Joseph recently graduated from Kenwood Academy as his class Valedictorian and is eager to continue his education at Princeton University in the fall. Because of his involvement with the WSC Scholarship, Joseph was prepared for the college application process as early as September and had many unique volunteering opportunities.
From the beginning, Joseph engaged with his mentors, fellow WSC Scholars and the staff to fully benefit from the program. He attended workshops hosted by Chicago Scholars designed to help him find colleges that would be a good match and fit, approach the common application, write a college essay, successfully interview, etc. Joseph and the other WSC Scholars submitted their college applications in September 2010 and attended the Onsite Admissions Forum in October, where they interviewed with admissions representatives. Joseph, like many other WSC Scholars, was accepted to some of the Onsite universities well before many of his classmates had even started to think about the college application process. Always one to go above and beyond, Joseph was accepted to 21 selective and highly selective colleges.
Joseph also had the opportunity to volunteer with World Sport Chicago at events like the Taste of Chicago and the Summer Track Program. His favorite activity, though, was speaking with 1st and 2nd graders at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club about the importance of athletics and academics. As a college-bound student who hopes to compete in cross-country in college, Joseph served as a role model for younger students who live in the same neighborhood and will attend the same schools as he does. Because of his positive experience, Joseph started a tutoring group with the HPNC students and recruited Kenwood Honor Society members to volunteer a few days a month to help the younger students with their homework.
Like many of the Chicago students who recently graduated from high school, Joseph is looking forward to the future. He plans on studying biology at Princeton and hopes to continue his athletic career because he is “not ready to give it up just yet.” His recommendations to future WSC Scholars? Stay organized and set your priorities correctly. Joseph has proved his ability to do just that.