Recent graduates from DePaul University have a knack for service. So says City Year, a national organization that unites young people for a year of service in high-need urban schools. This year, 14 Blue Demon alumni are among City Year’s 2,000 corps members, earning the university a place among the nonprofit organization’s top-10 “feeder” schools.  DePaul was the only Chicago university in the top 10.  City Year supplies talent who commit to a year of full-time service keeping students in school and on track.

“DePaul University has a reputation in Chicago for producing high-performing graduates from such a diverse student body,” said Lisa Morrison Butler, executive director of City Year. “Having this many alumni serving students is a testament to DePaul’s academic rigor and commitment to community service.”

DePaul tied for 10th with Florida International University among City Year’s feeder schools. The University of California-Los Angeles supplied the most actively serving corps members at 28. City Year corps members currently serve 110,000 students who attend 187 schools in 21 U.S. cities.

“Being at DePaul and working in the Jumpstart program influenced my decision to go into City Year by teaching me the importance of service, especially in education,” said DePaul 2011 alumnus Jen Perez, who is currently a City Year Chicago corps member on the White Sox Charities Team at Paul Robeson High School. “Since I came from Chicago Public Schools, I am familiar with the fact that not many students have the same experiences I had. As an aspiring teacher, I wanted to work in Chicago Public Schools, and City Year offered me that opportunity while I’m gaining the classroom experience I need.”

Founded in 1988, City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to provide full-time, targeted intervention for students most at risk of dropping out. In more than 20 communities across the United States and through two international affiliates, City Year’s teams of young AmeriCorps leaders support students by focusing on attendance, behavior and academic performance through in-class tutoring, mentoring and after-school programs that keep kids in school and on track to graduate.

City Year Media Contact: Stephanie Chavez, City Year Chicago, 312-423-7179, schavez@cityyear.org