Sullivan High School Thanksgiving Tradition - Year 5

Many of the 70 immigrant and refugee attending Rogers Park’s Roger C. Sullivan High School enjoyed their first Thanksgiving celebration on Tuesday, November 22, 2021, as the Friends of Sullivan, in partnership with the Rogers Park Builders Group, hosted Sullivan’s Fifth annual Thanksgiving Celebration.

President's Message

Dear Friend of Roger C. Sullivan High School;

The Rogers Park community is enriched with the presence of a special high school. Through our work, we can make it even better.

Since 2017, Sullivan’s Principal, Chad Thomas has worked with our dedicated Board to create a vehicle through which alumnus, community members and foundations can help support the students at Sullivan. As a result, Friends of Roger C. Sullivan has done much to help improve the school, including:

1. Helping transform a tired and worn library with outdated books and no librarian into a vibrant “welcoming center” for the schools vibrant refugee and immigrant population. With our student population consisting of students from over 50 countries, and over 40 languages spoken, a learning space where students can feel safe and secure - where they can engage in productive one on one meetings, or simply hang out with friends, has enriched the students experiences immeasurably.
2. Assist Sullivan recruitment efforts by running an annual “Martin Luther King Day” basketball tournament for local middle school youth. Soon to be expanded to an invitational tournament for boys and girls, the boys tournament in previous years has provided local youth with a fun and exciting day long tournament where they learn sportsmanship, hone their skills, and, between games, engage in educational experiences to learn more about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.
3. Annual Thanksgiving Tournament for Refugee/Immigrant populations. Many of Sullivan’s students know little about our quintessential American holiday. Held a week or so prior to Thanksgiving, our student lead Thanksgiving Celebration provides a chance for our English Learner population to share with the Rogers Park community all for which they are thankful.
4. Annual Scholarship Fund - Provide annual scholarships to deserving graduating seniors in need of financial assistance as they transition to College. These funds - whether used for lodging, travel costs or simply money to set up their new dorm rooms, proves essential as they set forth with a challenging new experience.

There is so much more that Friends of Sullivan does - and will be called upon to do in the future.

We seek your assistance - either through participation in a subcommittee, or with your financial support. Please help us continue to transform Roger C. Sullivan HIgh School into a state of the art high school.

Sincerely;
Friends of Roger C. Sullivan High School
Michael Glasser, President
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773 491-1235

Refugee High: A Conversation at Sullivan High School

On Wednesday, September 8, join the New Press, Sullivan High School, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights for a conversation on the new book Refugee High: Copming of Age in America. 

Author Elly Fishman will be joined in conversation by Sullivan alum Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and current Sullivan High School students about their thoughts on Refugee High, being a refugee or immigrant student at Sullivan today, and how the school and neighborhood have evolved over time.

Book "Refugee High" Receives Critical Acclaim

Author/Journalist Elly Fishman and the Sullivan High School and Rogers Park communities are celebrating Elly’s recently published book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America.

2021 Friends of Sullivan Scholarship Awarded

Friends of Sullivan Awards Annual Scholarship Helps Graduates Transition to College