Alicia Jordan, Cleveland, OH

2019 Cleveland recipient

Alicia was first "discovered" when she was 16 and volunteering at the Thea Bowman Center in Cleveland.  John Carroll University's president at the time, Fr. Robert Neihoff, heard her speak at the center and was so impressed that he offered her a full scholarship to John Carroll the following year.  After receiving her undergraduate degree in four years from John Carroll and working for a couple of years in Cleveland as a clerk in the courts, she decided to apply and work for College Now, a local non-profit that connects kids to college opportunities.  Her work involved mentoring middle school and high school students, preparing them for the college application process and taking them on college visits. She then decided to return to John Carroll for a master's degree in Non-profit.  she currently works as a liaison for first-time college students as a Linkage Coordinator at Cuyahoga County Community college through College Now.  After college, Alicia learned that she has lupus and suffers the effects of it, as well as the side effects of the medication she has to take to control her symptoms.  Betterment paid 3 months of expenses so Alicia can focus on her health.