A chance encounter at a café in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood brought Catalyst Program Director Rich Kohng and My Block, My Hood, My City founder Jahamal Cole together. Kohng’s and Cole’s shared commitment to community and serving the city in which we live was a natural connection and resulted in Kohng inviting Cole to speak at a Catalyst event last September.
Meeting Cole couldn’t have been more serendipitous, as this year’s Catalyst theme is “Home,” says Kohng.
“Home signifies familiarity, a sense of rootedness and a call to connectedness” adds Ernie Jefferson, the AmeriCorps VISTA Catalyst on Campus Coordinator. “In designating home as our theme, we hope to inspire conversation around multifaceted questions, such as, ‘How do our neighborhoods foster a sense of home?, Whom do we choose to welcome into our home?’ and ‘What kind of home do you envision North Park University to be?’” says Jefferson.
Similarly, “My Block, My Hood, My City” serves as an anchoring theme for Cole’s public speaking engagements. Cole, a youth mentor and author, advocates for community organizing and building a more interconnected Chicago. Already a fan of North Park, Cole says he wants to “fly with students, transfer his knowledge, and build community together.”
President Mary K. Surridge supports Catalyst’s and Cole’s mission to serve the city.
“It’s programs like today’s that are best for our students and distinguish us,” says President Surridge. “God’s place is right in the city and gives us motive to deepen opportunities for all the ways we’re going to serve.”
Catalyst and community partners like Cole, along with representatives from the Student Government Association, help to empower the student body and enhance North Park’s commitment to the flourishing of our city.