February 2009 Spotlight

June 11, 2010: Derrius is on a trip to Ghana. He keeps a blog here.

October 07, 2009 Update: Derrius Quarles in the news as the $1 million scholarship recipient. Read about it. 

Derrius attended Kenwood Academy, graduating in 2009. He is attending Morehouse College as a Chicago Scholar in a class of 2013. 

Overcoming Adversity

Transitiong to high school was difficult for Derrius.  Previously, he had never been at risk of failing a class but during his first semester in high school, Derrius struggled.  He finished the year with a 2.7 G.P.A. Determined to change his grades - and his future - Derrius relied on his past experiences to overcome his difficulties. With a history of  overcoming adversity at school and in his personal life, Derrius became a top student with a 3.6 GPA and student president in his junior year of high school. 

Few people knew that Derrius has been a foster child for 11 years and since his junior year in high school had been living in his own apartment. Derrius has had to handle his personal responsibilities while continuing to strive for academic excellence. Since becoming a Chicago Scholar he has raised his G.P.A even higher to a 3.97 by taking more challenging courses and working hard.  He also earned the position as Student Council President again during his senior year.

Derrius will be attending Morehouse College in 2009 on a scholarship. He expects that his particpation in the College Bound program will make that transition a little easier.