We love to celebrate our colleagues, and we love giving back to our community – so several years ago, BlueModus decided to combine these two loves. Each month, our Management Team selects two colleagues who shine and represent the values that make BlueModus a great place to work. These two colleagues select a charity, and BlueModus donates on their behalf.
This month, one of those colleagues is Derrick Koon. He is a Senior Web Developer and works on an agile team helping to maintain and build websites for our clients. Derrick is an absolute pleasure to work with and the type of person anyone, would want on their team. He is hard-working, thoughtful, caring, intelligent, and has a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. Some days can feel more chaotic than others, and Derrick brings a sense of calm and fun to his team.
Recently, BlueModus made a $500 donation to Big Shoulders Fund on behalf of Derrick. Big Shoulders Fund supports schools with a demonstrated need that provide a quality, values-based education for Chicago’s children. Big Shoulders Fund is unique in that an endowment and other income support its administrative expenses. One hundred percent of funds currently raised support four significant areas – scholarships and enrichment, operational improvements, academic programs, and leadership development – to strengthen schools and whole communities and prepare students for life-long success.
“When I first moved to Chicago, and my wife began working in the school system, I was shocked at how some schools had more than others,” shares Derrick. “I support the Big Shoulders Fund because I have seen firsthand the difference they have made in the Chicago area school system.”
Big Shoulders Fund believes that every child deserves access to a safe, high-quality education. Big Shoulders serves nearly 20,000 students from a vast range of ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds. Big Shoulders Fund high schools have a 95 percent graduation rate and effectively prepare students for college and careers. Even more significant, a recent survey of a sample of Big Shoulders Fund schools alumni showed that African-American alumni graduated from college at more than twice the national average, and Hispanic alumni graduated at a rate more than three times the national average.
If you would like to learn more about Big Shoulder Fund and how you can support their cause, please visit the donate portion of their website.