Chicago Urban League IMPACT Alumni Create Scholarship Fund to Honor the Late Brian E. Sleet

Alumni of the Chicago Urban League’s IMPACT Leadership Development Program announced the creation of a scholarship fund to honor the memory of the late Brian E. Sleet, who was a member of the program’s first graduating class in 2015.

The Brian E. Sleet IMPACT Scholarship Fund for Public Service will award scholarships to public service professionals who, like Brian, have dedicated their careers to working for change in Chicago. Sleet, who was a political consultant, attorney, and committed community leader, died unexpectedly in December 2018.

“Brian was many things to many people, and the IMPACT program is lucky to count him among our alumni,” said IMPACT Alumni Association President Charise Williams. “This scholarship will help other young Black professionals make their mark on their community and build their legacy throughout the entire city of Chicago in the same way Brian did. Brian not only believed in reaching back to help his community, but he also lived that life every day. ”

IMPACT’s Executive Director Mavis Laing unveiled the scholarship and announced its first recipient, Latoya Hughes, during an opening reception for the program’s 2020 class on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Hughes serves as Supervisor of Community Justice Centers for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The scholarship will cover her cost to participate in the nine-month program, which helps emerging African-American leaders advance in their careers while building a more diverse pipeline of leaders across Chicago.

Class of 2015 alumnus Kenneth P. Williams, a close friend of Sleet’s, conceived the idea of the scholarship.

“The IMPACT Alumni Association and the inaugural cohort created this scholarship and have made personal contributions to the fund because Brian was more than a classmate to them,” said Laing, who is also a vice president at the Chicago Urban League. “He was their brother, and we hope to award many more scholarships in the years to come.”

Contributions to the Brian E. Sleet IMPACT Scholarship Fund for Public Service can be made through the scholarship fund page on the Chicago Urban League’s website.