Youth Explore Post-Secondary Options on Veterans Day

November 25, 2025

With many of our young people home from school This Veterans Day, Mercy Home took the opportunity to expose them to two different post-secondary school options in the Chicago area. 

A group of 12 college-aged residents from both campuses as well as young people participating in our Friends First mentoring program attended a “Do College for a Day” visit at Elmhurst University. The visit included a light breakfast, followed by an ice breaker activity and a campus tour. The group was hosted by Mercy Home Leader Council member Mary Kay Mulvaney, who is an English professor and director of the university’s honors program

“I thought they did a great job relating to our kids,” Mercy Home Director of Post Secondary Options, Career Resources and Scholarships Morgan Kuhn said. “We went everywhere from the library to the cafeteria and the classroom.” 

Following the tour, the group sat in on a United Scholars first-year seminar class. They heard from several scholars who shared their lived experiences of starting school at a four-year college. Then they enjoyed a buffet-style lunch and an informational session where they learned about applying to Elmhurst and campus life. 

Brandon, a Mercy Home resident, currently attends Kennedy King College, a public, two-year community college in Chicago. Although he has visited four-year colleges in the past, he said that this time, his experience was different. 

“The most rewarding part of the visit was seeing what college is like somewhere else,” Brandon said. “Now that I actually have the college experience, I can see the differences in their school compared to Kennedy King.” 

Brandon said that if he chooses to attend Elmhurst in the future, he wants to take advantage of their study abroad program. He and all the other visitors were treated to Elmhurst University merchandise from the bookstore, courtesy of Dr. Mulvaney.  

“It’s always important to create exposure for our youth knowing that they’re here with us for a limited amount of time,” Kuhn said. “Our job is to set them up for success for their future. By taking them to a four-year university, they can see if it’s the right fit for them and make that informed choice on what their future may be. If we can continue to provide options and resources for life beyond Mercy, then we’re doing our job right.” 

While that group was at Elmhurst, others went to Revolution Workshop, a construction training and job-placement site that helps individuals from Chicago’s most under-resourced communities.  

Revolution Workshop provides a free three-month training program that teaches safety, quickness, and power tool skills. The program equips people for a high paying career in the construction industry.  

“The reason we mixed in the Revolution Workshop is to make sure that we are equally exposing our youth to trade as well as college,” Kuhn said. “That is a very realistic desire for youth. They express interest in it all the time and we need to make sure that we aren’t only pushing one path. We need to make sure that we are looking at our youth and what they’re expressing.” 

The program runs three times per year and helps with mock interviews and job placement as well. Each cohort selects about 25-30 participants to participate. While on the visit, the young people received a tour of the facility and heard from a current participant in the program.  

“We try to diversify our exposures for day off of school opportunities to make sure that we fit the needs of all our youth,” Kuhn said. “We might open doors and opportunities that they may not have been considering. … Either way, our youth were walking away with a win on Veterans Day.”