º£½ÇÊÓƵ

INA, Ill. (June 24, 2025) — The º£½ÇÊÓƵ STARS program recently provided 10 students and 3 advisors the opportunity to explore the city of Chicago through a unique cultural and educational trip.

^{Back Row (L-R): Robert Bowman, Breanna Osinski, Cara Osinski}

^{Middle Row (L-R): Victoria Bocock, STARS Advisor Amy Cook, Madeleine Miles, Chris King, Jr., STARS Advisor Dara Whaley, Director of Trio Programs Mallory Moddelmog, Lucas Sloan}

^{Front Row (L-R): Arrow Wilson, Brittany Hall, Audrey Whaley}

Traveling via Amtrak train, the group arrived at Union Station and spent three days exploring the city's rich history, architecture and educational landmarks with the guidance of a dedicated tour leader.

Highlights of the trip included visits to the Museum of Science and Industry, Millennium Park, the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago and the 360 Chicago Observation Deck at the John Hancock Center. Students also experienced Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza at Gino’s East and dined at the nostalgic Ed Debevic’s.

_{* Use arrows to view next image}

STARS program at the Bean (Cloud Gate) in Millennium Park

The STARS group visit the Shedd Aquarium.

The STARS group visits the site of the Great Chicago Fire.

The experience was rounded out with a Chicago River architecture tour and a campus visit to the University of Illinois – Chicago.

^{RLC STARS on a campus visit at UIC.}

This immersive trip not only exposed students to world-class institutions and cultural landmarks, but also supported their personal and academic growth by introducing them to new environments and ideas.

For more information about the STARS program, visit rlc.edu/stars or email Mallory Moddelmog at moddelmogm@rlc.edu.