The John E. Rooney Dynamic Scholarship provides a grant for post-secondary education to a youth from UCAN who embodies the role of a leader. This scholar is selected based upon the quality of his or her application and an interview with selected UCAN board members, staff and youth ambassadors. Each youth must have demonstrated the following to qualify:

• Completed high school with a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
• Showed intent to continue an education to an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational training school.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities in academics and extra-curricular activities in school and within the community.

About the Rooney Family

The late John E. Rooney, also known as Jack, was the President & Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Cellular Corporation. He became a prominent leader in the Chicago business community by creating value-based cultures within the companies he ran. He believed a company's culture should motivate employees to demonstrate customer focus, respect, empowerment, pride and ethics. The business model he used while at U.S. Cellular was based on effective leadership, and in 2004 U.S. Cellular established this scholarship to honor him for his own leadership. Since then, this scholarship has given young people the chance to pursue their dreams of a college education and the opportunity to become successful leaders.

The Steans family-Harrison, Lois, and their three daughters, Heather, Jennifer, and Robin-created the Foundation in 1986 to sponsor a class of sixth graders through the "I Have a Dream" program. The Steans Family Foundation concentrates on helping youth in the North Lawndale, a community on Chicago’s west side, and North Chicago, a city 40 miles north of Chicago. This year, UCAN is honored to announce our new The Steans Family Foundation Youth Leadership award winner Darrion O’Neal.

The Steans Family Foundation Youth Leadership Awards are given to UCAN youth who demonstrated exceptional leadership and advocacy for themselves, the community, other youth, and UCAN programs in the following areas: Personal development, educational achievement, civic participation, and emotional and spiritual well-being. It is intended for he or she to continue their education after high school. The remarkable scholar is selected based upon the quality of his application and an interview with selected UCAN board members, staff, and youth ambassadors.

CUSP (Comprehensive Undergraduate Success Program) was created to support UCAN college-bound youth. Each year, CUSP will provide support to two youth who have undergone a rigorous application process that includes an assessment of their skills in the following four areas:

Achievement: Motivated to grow and learn; engaged in learning experiences; decision-making skills; learning from one’s failures

Intention: Behaving with integrity; being honest; making responsible decisions and demonstrating the ability to handle responsibility; having a sense of purpose and a vision of what he/she would like to impact

Motivating Others: Passionate about advocacy; having the capacity to develop healthy relationships; valuing differences and similarities in people; understand the importance of resolving conflict peacefully; have influence over others

Empowerment: Understanding that one has some control over his/her environment, and how to use one’s voice responsibly

John’s passion for investing began at age 12 when his father began buying him stocks as Christmas and birthday gifts. His interest in equities grew at Princeton University, where he majored in economics, and over the two-plus years he worked as a stockbroker for William Blair & Company, LLC. In 1983, John founded Ariel to focus on patient, value investing within small- and medium-sized companies. While our research capabilities have expanded across the globe, patience is still the disciplined approach that drives the firm today. Early in his career, John’s investment acumen brought him to the forefront of media attention and culminated in him being selected as Co-Mutual Fund Manager of the Year by Sylvia Porter’s Personal Finance magazine as well as an All-Star Mutual Fund Manager by USA TODAY.

Furthermore, John has been highlighted alongside legendary investors Warren Buffett, Sir John Templeton and Ben Graham in the distinguished book: The World’s 99 Greatest Investors by Magnus Angenfelt. His professional accomplishments extend to the boardroom where he is a member of the board of directors of McDonald’s, NIKE and The New York Times Company. John also serves as vice chair of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago. In 2008, John was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus or alumna whose career embodies a commitment to national service. Following the election of President Barack Obama, John served as co-chair for the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009, and more recently, he joined the Barack Obama Foundation’s Board of Directors. John received an AB in economics from Princeton University, where he was also captain of the varsity basketball team.