Mother and son forge bond as college students through Hope Chicago program

CHICAGO - In a unique family dynamic, a mother-son duo from Chicago is not only bonding as family members but also as students pursuing the same dream of obtaining college degrees.

Lara Romero and her son Salvatore are both enrolled in a special program called Hope Chicago, which provides debt-free higher education to both Chicago Public School graduates and their parents.

While Salvatore attends the University of Illinois in Champaign, his mother Lara attends National Louis University. Despite the distance, they frequently communicate to support each other during their first year of college.

Salvatore expressed pride in his mother's hard work, though acknowledging she relies heavily on him for technological assistance.

"If I write a paper, I'm like, 'hey, do me a favor. Can you take a look at this one more time?' I don't know how to spell check. And it's really fun, it turns into something fun," Lara said.

"It makes me really proud for my mom because I know this is something very important to her, and she's always been one of my number one supporters to keep encouraging me to do my hardest in school and I hope that I've been able to be that same person for her," Salvatore added.

Lara is looking to obtain a nursing degree, while Salvatore studies geography. They are among the parent-child students taking advantage of Hope Chicago. These scholarships remove financial barriers for CPS students and families, covering tuition, room and board, books and fees, plus an annual stipend.

The goal of the program is to ensure more students and parents have a debt-free education.

"It's making a community impact. We know that it's incredibly difficult for an 18-year-old to have the burden to lift their entire family. And so Hope Chicago's model is really around having a two-generation socioeconomic opportunity for families to really rise together," said Michele Howard, from Hope Chicago.

Salvatore is one of 62 Hope Scholars currently attending U of I. He and his mother will be reunited as she heads to Champaign to celebrate Mom's Weekend on campus.