Andrew, our student in the AIM High mentoring program continues to amaze us. He was accepted to participate in an intensive painting and drawing pre-college summer session at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a partial scholarship. High school students from all over the country submitted their work and vied for the limited slots available. What makes this particularly noteworthy is that Andrew is completely self-taught. The schools he has attended on Chicago’s south side do not offer arts programs. The session culminated in a gallery event showcasing the students’ works. Andrew’s talent was evident in the quality of his work and the thoughtful concepts behind it.

We had the opportunity to spend more quality time with Andrew. During the latter part of his 2009 summer “vacation” as an intern at NeigerDesign.