Local Students Honored at Cub Scholars Event

Ellis Alexander is a Cubs Scholar and Cubs RBI All-Star who attends Jones College Prep. PHOTO PROVIDED BY RISE STRATEGY GROUP.
Ellis Alexander is a Cubs Scholar and Cubs RBI All-Star who attends Jones College Prep. PHOTO PROVIDED BY RISE STRATEGY GROUP.

Local Students Honored at Cub Scholars Event

By Tia Carol Jones

Ellis Alexander is a senior at Jones College Preparatory High School. He heard about the Cubs Scholars program through his participation in the Cubs Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) and Career As Sports Executives (CASE) programs.

Alexander, a Washington Park resident, was one of 13 new students who were honored during an event introducing the Cub Scholars Class of 2024 and celebrating the 2023 graduates at Wrigley Field.

“Cubs Charities has always been a great program for me and it has helped me out a lot. So, I thought to continue with Cubs Scholars through college would be the best way to move forward,” Alexander said.

Being part of the programs with Cub Charities has put Alexander in the best position to get scholarships for college, assistance with his college essays and access to college and university advisors while in school.

Cubs Charities is a nonprofit that is focused on development and academic programming for sports-based youth that was established in 2009. Cub Scholars was established in 2013 and aims to promote academic achievement and post-secondary educational advancement through a mentorship program and financial contributions. Cubs Scholars provides mentorship in collaboration with Chicago Scholars. Since it began, Cubs Scholars has supported 62 students.

Alexander’s participation in RBI has made him a better baseball player. He currently is a catcher on the Jones Eagles Baseball team. He said the program has also made him a better person. He has learned a lot from the coaches and mentors and he is thankful for the help they’ve given him by reaching out to coaches on the college level.

With the CASE program, Alexander has had access to different people in the sports field, which helped open his eyes to careers within the sports industry outside of playing a sport. He was able to speak with sports executives and find out what courses they took in college to complete their field of study.

Alexander wants to play baseball in college and he is looking at schools that match his academic and athletic standard. He wants to study economics, sports management or business in college. Alexander said when he got the call that he was chosen for the scholarship, he was relieved because it was such a lengthy process. He was also relieved that he would receive the financial and college support that goes along with the scholarship.

Alexander has advice for other students who might be considering participating in the Cubs Scholars program.

“Always put your best foot forward and always try your best, because this program is only to help you,” he said. He also wants to encourage other students not to be afraid to reach out to people who can help them attain their goals.

Alexander has been able to interact and engage with the other scholars outside of the program. He said having a community of other students has helped him immensely through his journey.

For more information about Cub Scholars and Cubs Charities, visit www.cubscharities.org.

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