Katherine Evans, 22, an African-American woman, is close to completing a degree in finance at DePaul University. Orlando Ornelas, 21, an Hispanic graphic arts major in DePaul’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will also receive his degree from DePaul this June.

Evans and Ornelas grew up in different neighborhoods and cultures on Chicago’s West Side. However, they have a special commonality. Their college education was made possible through DePaul’s Egan Hope Scholars program.

On April 22, Evans, Ornelas and 18 other Egan Hope Scholars will be honored at a reception and luncheon in the DePaul Egan Urban Center, 243 S. Wabash Ave., beginning at 11:30 a.m.

DePaul created the Egan Hope Scholars Program in 1993 to increase college opportunities for those hard-working, above average inner-city students who are often overlooked by college recruiters. The program is named in honor of Msgr. John J. Egan, assistant to DePaul’s president and director of the university’s Office of Community Affairs. According to Egan, a life-long advocate for social justice and community empowerment, the scholarship program is aimed at those students who once empowered, will be able to contribute to the revitalization of their communities.

Egan Hope Scholars receive government financial aid and up to $10,000 per year to close the gap between the full costs of a DePaul education and the grants. The scholarships are renewable for four years as long as students maintain a 2.5 grade point average. Only two of the 23 Egan Hope Scholars left DePaul before completing their education. One of the first students admitted in 1993 graduated last year.

Eligible students must not only demonstrate need and a strong desire to attend college, they must be active volunteers during high school and continue that commitment at DePaul. According to Evans, volunteer work is well worth the effort, even when managing a heavy class load.

"All of us have received something in life from someone else," said Evans. "I don’t think it takes a lot out of your day to help someone for an hour with their reading." Energetic and well-organized, Evans has done peer counseling through DePaul’s Project Stars program, volunteered as a data entry clerk for the American Cancer Society and serves every Sunday as a church-school teacher at her church.

Valedictorian of her class at Westinghouse High School, Evans knew she would complete college like her big sister before her, but didn’t know how her single mother would manage with two younger children still at home. The Egan Hope scholarship allowed her to attend classes full-time and complete her college education in four years without financial worry. During her years at DePaul, Evans has interned as a runner with the Chicago Board of Options and spent a summer working in the commodities department of the New York Board of Options. She plans to spend her first two or three years after graduation working as a financial analyst.

Meanwhile, Ornelas is hoping to land a job with a large advertising agency in the very near future. One of four brothers, he is the first to graduate from college in his immediate family. College was quite an emotional adjustment for Ornelas and his parents when he began residing on campus because he had never lived away from home before.

Ornelas realizes that DePaul’s financial contribution to his education was significant, but he said it took something more to help him succeed. "DePaul has changed my life. As important as the money was, the support was equally important. I don’t feel I am smarter than the next person, but I know how the world works. I was given a lot of direction here at DePaul."

In addition to the scholarships, the Egan Hope Scholarship program provides students with on-campus housing, a summer bridge program, a program coordinator and mentors. Funding for the programs comes from contributions by DePaul alumni, friends and corporate and foundation partners. The long-term fund raising goal for the program is $5 million, of which more than $720,000 has been raised. For more information about DePaul’s Egan Hope Scholars program, call Adrian Aragones at 773/325-2972.

Note: Reporters are welcome to cover the luncheon. Please call Roxanne Jahi at 312/362-8623 to register in advance.