Jeremih Felton - In 2008, while a student at Columbia College, Jeremih, a largely self taugh musician, recorded a demo and took it to Power 92, a radio station in Chicago.  The first song was a catchy car-centric song called “My Ride”. Fast forward one year and Jeremih is the newest addition to the famed Def Jam label and his recently released self-titled album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and sold 59,000 copies in its first week.

Jeremy Rifkin (1943-Present) - Founder of The Foundation on Economic Trends, Rifkin has authored 17 books, many of them international bestsellers, and is one of the most influential economists in the world. The National Journal named him one of the 150 most influential shapers of federal governmental policies. Rifkin's monthly column on global issues appears in newspapers around the world, and he frequently testifies before Congress on a variety of issues.

Johnny Washington (1930-present) - Before joining the Marines and earning two Purple Hearts and the Silver Star in the Korean War, Washington was a professional baseball player in the Negro Leagues playing for Chicago and Huston. After the war, he played in the minor leagues and led the league in hitting and pitching seven and eight times respectively.

Mae Jemison (October 17, 1956 - Present) - As part of the space shuttle Endeavor's September 1992 mission, Dr. Jemison became the first woman of color in space. In addition to authoring two books, Jemison started the Jemison Group in 1993 and the Biosentient Group in 1999. She's taught at Cornell University and Dartmouth College and is much sought after speaker.

Robert P Workman - As the first American to have his artwork accepted by the Musee du Louvre of Paris in the 21st Century, Workman established himself as a leading artist on the global stage. His work is also part of the Reagan, Carter Presidential Libraries and in the Smithsonian.

Full-time state legislator; born Oct. 18, 1935, in Chicago; A.A., Chicago Loop Junior College; attended Roosevelt University School of Commerce; strong advocate for funding public education and social justice in Illinois; has received numerous legislative awards; is the parent of four children with his late wife, Patricia.