Chance the Rapper responds after receiving letter from CPS students

FOX 32 NEWS - Three Chicago Public Schools students are over the moon after they got a response from their favorite artist.

The students wrote a letter to Chance the Rapper thanking him for all he has done for the district he once called home. It comes after Chance announced a $1 million dollar donation to CPS.

The students said he is one of the few celebrities who really give back.

The three students were happy to write the letter telling the CPS alum and star rapper how much his donation meant to them. They were even more thrilled when Chance took to Twitter to show his appreciation.

When Lake View High School social studies teacher Stephanie Barajas asked her student, who are Chance the Rapper fans, if they'd like to write him a letter, three jumped at the opportunity.

"It's just something that I care about, so it wasn't hard to write it,” said student Alondra Cerros.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to get my student voice out there,” said student Anneliesse Betancourt.

Chance, a product of Chicago Public Schools himself, made headlines when he donated $1 million dollars to the financially strapped district. 

"He helped us like push us to get us to where we could be with our education and it was very helpful,” Betancourt said.

These students wrote a letter thanking Chance for making the donation and for inspiring others to do the same.

"We really hope that it encourages other big influential people to help us out too, because we really do need it,” Cerros said.

The students also talked about the violence that surrounds them.

“It's pretty difficult because when we leave the house, I'm a little worried about if something happens to me and my dad too. Like he always tells me, be safe, be careful when I leave the house or when I'm driving to school,” said student Alex Rojas.

Billboard posted the letter on Wednesday and in a matter of hours, Chance himself read it. He retweeted the letter and said, "I appreciate you guys and you'll be happy to know the work has only just started. Huge things to come over the next 2 weeks."

"I thought it was amazing that he acknowledged the fact that they took the time to write this and that he actually read it and knows who they are and appreciates them,” Barajas said.

Barajas is incredibly proud of their students. They’re also starting to get recognized more in the hallways and on social media because of Chance's retweet.