Eder Cruz Leo 2011 - The Highbeam Cutting Through the Pfleger Pfog

Eder Cruz flanked by Aurora Latifi and Margarita Silva of Leo High School


On April 21st, I posted the announcement of Eder Cruz Leo 2011 selection as one of 31 Illinois recipients of the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship. The Gates Millennium Scholarship follows the recipient for his or her post-secondary education: college, post-graduate ( Law, Medicine etc.)

Eder Cruz transferred to Leo High School from Cristo Rey in his sophomore year. For two years Eder was the only non-African American student here at Leo High School.

Tomorrow's Mark Brown column is a look at this remarkable young man. Mr. Brown does a splendid job in telling about the school that helped a tough, earnest and thoughtful young man. Albanian born math teacher, Mrs. Aurora Latifi, Spanish teacher Ms. Margarita Silva and Guidance Counsellor Ms. Kaitlyn Kurta are three special ladies who were particularly important to Eder in his quest for success. Leo High School is generally known as a Catholic school with a particularly high testosterone level, but it is the young women who are making real impact on our guys.

Since mid-March, Leo High School's true story has been fogged by the media concerning an Archdiocesan personnel matter between the Cardinal and Father Pfleger of St. Sabina's Parish. The story went viral and national and Leo was tagged as struggling, troubled and in Father Pfleger's words "literally failing." The fact of the matter the taggers of those terms have no skin in the game at Leo High School - not Michael Pfleger, not Jay Levine and not Phil Kadner. Not one of the foggy narrative taggers, took the time to phone, much less visit the Leo Leadership: President for Institutional Advancement Dan McGrath and Principal Phil Mesina. No one the taggers talked to Leo Alumni President John Gardner, or Leo Advisory Board President Bob Sheehy. No tagger gave a call to Leo Men with much monetary and spiritual skin in the game like Frank Considine '39, Bill Koloseike '45, Andy McKenna '47, Dick Landis '47, Don Flynn '56, Bob Foster '57, Terry Sherman '64, or Joe Powers '70.

Mark Brown visited Leo. Mark Brown helped cut through the Pfleger Pfog narrative.

Eder Cruz leaves a great deal of skin in the corridors of Leo High School. Eder Cruz is a game changer.

Click my post title for Mark Brown's great Pfog Cutter.

By the way, Yale University is dropping by Leo High School at 9AM to talk to another Leo Man - a game changer of the Class of 2012.

Eder Cruz - Leo High School 2011 - Gates Millenium Scholar

Eder Cruz Leo Man 2011 in the center - he's the Mexican American gent - Leo's Gates Millenium Scholar!


Eder Cruz came to Leo High School from Cristo Rey High School. He was the only Mexican (Hispanic) student at Leo, until this year. Eder was welcomed by his fellow Lions and mentored by Mrs. Aurora Latifi and Ms. Margerita Silva. Mrs. Latifi is an Albanian immigrant and Ms. Silva a proud Latina. Eder Cruz immediately established himself as a leader and a scholar.

Eder Cruz is also a Gates Millenium Scholar. Mrs. Latifi nominated the young man who has been accepted at Marquette University and many others. Eder may use this scholship at Valparaiso University, Marquette University, Iowa State, St. Louis University, Bradley University, University of Alcorn, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Hope College. President Dan McGrath will insist upon another Leo Man at his Alma Mater - Marquette University.

Click my post title for the Leo High School Oriole and more college success tales from the Lions.

But first Mr. Eder Cruz, Leo Class of 2011!

Mr. Eder Anibal Cruz Alvarado
5#$% South Campbell
Chicago, IL 606$%


Dear Eder,

Congratulations! We are very pleased to inform you of your selection as one of the 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars for the GMS Class of 2011. We commend you on your strong leadership, community service and academic achievements that contributed to your selection as a Gates Millennium Scholar. Your accomplishment is especially notable in context of the more than 23,000 students who applied, making this year's the largest and most competitive group of candidates in the program's history. We are very excited to have you as a Gates Scholar and very pleased to confer this distinct honor that distinguishes you as a Leader for America's Future(tm).

As a Gates Millennium Scholar, GMS funds are available for you to attend any U.S. accredited* college or university of your choice. This is a renewable scholarship based on the GMS Program guidelines. The documents you will submit throughout your undergraduate career will guide GMS' review and determination of a new scholarship amount for each year you are eligible. In addition, if you pursue graduate studies in the fields of Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Library Science, Mathematics, Public Health or Science, you may be eligible for GMS fellowship funding for your education through the master's and doctoral levels.

In order to determine the amount of your 2011-2012 academic year GMS award, please send us the following documents:

* your admissions letter from the institution you will be attending (if you have chosen an institution other than the one previously submitted),
* the enclosed GMS Information Sheet completed by your financial aid counselor, and
* your financial aid award letter from the same institution as the admissions letter you submitted for the institution you will be attending.

Please send these documents as soon as possible, but no later than the June 20, 2011 priority due date. Remember, a scholarship award cannot be determined until you submit all the documents listed above from the institution you will attend during the 2011-2012 academic year.

In addition, for all Scholars who are currently high school seniors, we will request an official copy of your final transcript from your high school showing your final grades and graduation date. Your scholarship award will not be mailed to the college/university you will attend until we receive your final transcript.

The GMS program is much more than a scholarship. GMS' Leadership and Scholar Relations program offers Academic Empowerment services (ACE) to support your academic success and graduate education planning. In addition, we provide a wide range of resources including a GMS leadership conference specifically designed to orient and prepare you to maximize your GMS experience, a mentoring program and an online resource center that gives you access to internships, fellowships and other scholarships.

Please review the documents included with this letter as they will provide you with an overview of many of the GMS initiatives. Should you have any questions about GMS or your scholarship, please do not hesitate to contact us at 415-808-2410 or via e-mail at gmsinfo@hsf.net.

Again, congratulations on being selected for this distinguished award. Be sure to also thank your Nominator and Recommender for their support and confidence in your potential.

Sincerely,


Cathy Makunga
Vice President of Scholarship Programs, HSF
Gates Millennium Scholars Program

Thousands of Leo Men are Proud of You Eder! Fact Non Verba !