Welcome to our sixth annual 1stGEN Scholarship Gala: Determined, Presented by Northern Trust. This year's event will take place on Friday, September 26, 2025 at The Geraghty, and support programs and students of Chicago State University (CSU), the only 4-year Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) in Illinois, bridging the gap of racial inequity. See photos from last year's event here.

A special part of the evening will be our annual Cougar Servant Leadership awards, presented to leaders with tremendous dedication, exceptional service, and outstanding leadership that have helped transform Chicago and Illinois in the categories of Public Service, Education Equity, Alumni Acheivement.

 

Sponsors

Click here to see the current list of our generous sponsors. To become a sponsor for this year's gala, contact the Chicago State Foundation Executive Director, Melanie Sillas at msillas@csu.edu.