Rural Scholars
At the University of Chicago, we believe that all students should have access to higher education opportunities no matter their background. UChicago knows that students from rural and small-town contexts bring valuable experiences and viewpoints to a college community. In conjunction with the STARS College Network, Career Advancement supports rural and small town UChicago College students by providing tailored career exploration opportunities and substantiative professional experiences to ensure have the foundation to achieve their career goals!
The STARS (Small Town and Rural Student) College Network is a consortium of 32 of the nation’s most prominent universities and colleges who are dedicated to working together to help students from small-town and rural America enroll in, succeed at, and graduate from the undergraduate program of their choice by offering:
Monthly webinars
Access to online resources
In-person and virtual programing covering every step of the college planning process
1:1 specialized advising support for students at partner high schools
Learn more about the STARS College Network here.
We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2030 to UChicago with exclusive programming for incoming rural and small-town students!
May 26 5:00-6:00PM
Rural Students Welcome Webinar
Join us to hear about career programming for incoming rural students!
June 10 3:00-6:00PM
Ask a Career Advisor – Virtual Drop-In Advising
Drop-in for support on:
Questions on Rural student summer programming
Submitting the Career Exploration Week and First Year Career Cohort Applications
Preparing your resume
Any other Career Exploration Support
Late June
Welcome from Career Advisor
Your Career Adviser will reach out and share information on scheduling your first Advising Appointment
Starting July
1:1 Career Advising Appointments
Schedule an introductory meeting with your Career Adviser!
Sign-up with UChicago Handshake!
August 17-19
Explore Indianapolis! – Rural Summer Trek
Explore the robust career opportunities in Indianapolis, network with alumni and employers, and meet other incoming rural students!
Join us to Explore Indiannapolis! This is an exciting opportunity for incoming Class of 2030 rural students! Spend 3 days traveling to a new location, exploring career paths, meeting UChicago alumni and employers, and making new friends in your class.
Dates: August 17-19
Arrival & Departure: Students will need to arrive in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, August 16. The final employer visits will take place during the morning of August 19, and students will be able to depart that afternoon.
In late-June, your career adviser will contact you to introduce themselves and schedule your first meeting. This first appointment will be a virtual meeting held over the summer. Your adviser will provide an overview of UChicago career resources and how you can get started with career planning!
After you receive your welcome email you can schedule an appointment with your career adviser using the UChicago Handshake platform, your one-stop shop for internships, career advising, events, and more! You will gain access to Handshake in late-June.
How to Schedule an Appointment
Log in to UChicago Handshake
Select "Career Center" and then "Appointments"
Choose "1st Year Assigned Adviser" and proceed through the prompts
Students must claim their cNet ID before they can access Handshake. Visit this page to claim your cNet ID.
Name
Hometown
Major(s)
Professional Experience
Aracely Flores-Ramirez, Class of 2025
Los Lunas, NM
Spanish Language and Literatures
The World Music Foundation, Life Span, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center - Intake Specialist
Willow Rutter, Class of 2027
Townsend, Tennessee
Public Policy
Studies on the Environment, Geography, and Urbanization
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Buzzards Bay Coalition
Jillian McGeehin, Class of 2027
Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania
Sociology
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Shatterproof, Make-a-Wish Illinois
Noah Bauserman, Class of 2029
New Market, VA
Economics & French
Pioneer Bank
Appalachia & Southern U.S.
Priority Industries: Consumer Goods, Energy, STEM
Employers Include: CenturyLink (Monroe, LA), HG Energy (Parkersburg, WV), NextEra Energy (Juno Beach, FL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN), Sonoco (Harsville, SC), Walmart (Bentonville, AR)
Midwest
Priority Industries: Biotech, Consumer Goods, Engineering
Employers Include: Dow Chemical (Midland, MI), Eli Lilly (Indianapolis, IN), John Deere (Moline, IL), Kohler (Kohler, WI), Rivian (Normal, IL), Smucker’s (Orrville, OH), Zimer Biomet (Warsaw, IN)
Northeast & Mid-Atlantic
Priority Industries: Corporate, Finance, Healthcare
Employers Include: ADP (Roseland, NJ), Capital One (McLean, VA), CVS (Woonsocket, RI), IBM (Armonk, NY), Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, NJ), Mars (McLean, VA), Mastercard (Purchase, NY), Merck (Kenilworth, NJ)
Western U.S. & Great Plains
Priority Industries: Entertainment, Food, Tech & Manufacturing
Employers Include: AMC Theaters (Leawood, KS), Ancestry (Lehi, UT), Ball Corporation (Broomfield, CO), Cabela’s (Sidney, NE), Qualtrics (Provo, UT), Santa Fe Studios (Santa Fe, NM), Trader Joe’s (Monrovia, CA)
For questions, please contact alyssanelson@uchicago.edu.
