We are thrilled to announce that UCW High School senior Terrance Dantzler was named a recipient of the Laurel Scholarship at Grinnell College! The Laurel Scholarship is a highly competitive scholarship and mentorship program — Terrance will be 1 of only 10 Laurel Scholars in Grinnell’s Class of 2025 — intended to help excellent Black scholars with great leadership potential thrive during their undergraduate career at Grinnell.
Grinnell is a highly selective liberal arts college with a beautiful campus that is located in rural Iowa and predominantly White. Through the Laurel Scholarship’s mentorship program, Terrance will gain a support network of Black Grinnell alumni — like UCW High School Class of 2015 alum Caelin Bryant, who graduated from Grinnell in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. Black Grinnell alumni based in Chicago will provide him with mentorship and help prepare him for his transition to college. He and his fellow Laurel Scholars will also participate in special summer programming so they can build community before they arrive on campus.
In addition to this Chicago-based mentorship program, Terrance will receive a full-tuition scholarship and is eligible for additional need-based financial aid to assist with the cost of room and board.
Terrance applied to Grinnell College through the Early Decision II program, which enabled him to submit his application two weeks early in exchange for notification of his admissions decision months before many other students begin to hear back from colleges.
Terrance has been an asset to the UChicago Charter community, and while we will miss him dearly, we are incredibly proud of all of his hard work that led to this accomplishment. Most recently, Terrance and his classmate Julien worked with a UChicago professor on an editorial that highlights their insights on youth violence and the work of the Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention. The editorial was recently accepted for publication by the American Journal of Public Health. Terrance also challenged himself academically during his time at UCW, taking seminars taught by professors at the UChicago School of Social Service Administration and the UChicago Law School.
Terrance (right) and his classmate Julien (left), with whom he worked on the “Youth Voices” editorial
Outside of school, Terrance has run a business making t-shirts, and he also produces music — which is how he created UCW High School’s theme song. “Through his grades, school leadership, and personal energy, Terrance exudes exemplary self-esteem and pride in his community,” said UChicago Charter Chief College Officer Mr. Torres.
On behalf of the entire UChicago Charter community, congratulations Terrance. You make us proud.