University News

Brown-Edwards Named Hope Chicago Advisor at WIU

August 23, 2022

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MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University alumna and longtime Macomb resident Tammie Leigh Brown-Edwards has been named the advisor for the new Hope Chicago program at WIU.

Brown-Edwards, who recently graduated from WIU with her master's degree in college student personnel, will provide support to the WIU Hope Chicago cohort, which is composed of approximately 60 students who started at WIU this fall. In addition, Brown-Edwards, who is part of the WIU Office of Retention Initiatives, will develop and implement programs and events to enhance persistence, graduation rates and support for Hope Chicago and other WIU students.

In Summer 2022, WIU and Hope Chicago joined together for a new, innovative two-generation college scholarship program committed to investing $1 billion in postsecondary scholarships to Chicago Public School students and their parents over the next decade.

As a Hope Chicago partner university, incoming Hope Scholars at Western are eligible for the full suite of comprehensive support that Hope Chicago offers including scholarships to cover all academic and extracurricular-related expenses.

"We are so excited to have Tammie Leigh join our office and to serve as the adviser for this new program. During her time as a graduate student at WIU, she worked in the First Year Advising Center and served as an adviser to WIU groups. Her experiences at WIU, coupled with her motivation and commitment to our students will serve our Hope Chicago – and all WIU students – very well," said Executive Director of Retention Initiatives Justin Schuch.

In addition to her work as a graduate assistant in the advising center, Brown-Edwards also worked as a graduate assistant for the Academic Success Workshops and in the Veterans Resource Center. She also completed an internship as the summer conference and housing coordinator for Residence Education and Housing Services at Michigan Technological University, and she has served as a transfer orientation course co-instructor for the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota.

"College can – and should – be a life-changing experience and prepare students for the next chapter of their lives," Brown-Edwards said. "It's absolutely imperative that students are supported and have the resources to succeed. I am beyond thrilled to be an advisor, a mentor and a resource for Hope Chicago Leathernecks at WIU."

Brown-Edwards also serves as an Alderperson-at-Large for the City of Macomb, and has been involved in numerous diversity and social justice initiatives within Macomb, including Macomb Moving Forward, Macomb Juneteenth (co-founder), 309 Day (founder), City of Macomb Pronoun Day, Vivian Society (co-founder), to name a few. At WIU, she is an adviser for Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and is a member of the Lambda Lavender Honor Society.

She earned her master's from WIU and her bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University. She also holds an associate degree from Waubonee Community College.

For more information, visit wiu.edu/hope or hopechicago.org.


Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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