A Spring of 

Opportunity


HIGH JUMP ANNUAL BENEFIT

Friday May 3rd 2024 • 6:00 pm
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

We believe that equalizing educational opportunities for Chicago students is a powerful investment in our shared future. 


Join us to empower Chicago middle schoolers with the right resources at the right time so that they can go on to thrive in middle school, high school, college and beyond!


We look forward to celebrating with you! 


2024 Benefit Co-Chairs:

Jenny Bekkerman
Jymme Chaouki
Meg Frey

Catherine Rosenberg
Ramya Shah
Daisie Siska

and the 2024 Benefit Committee

Come celebrate the scholars and alumni of this life‑changing program and hear their inspiring stories. We hope you can join us!

Keynote Speaker


Aris Mendoza
High Jump Cohort 10
Writer and actor dedicated to creating soulful narratives that give voice to underrepresented communities.


Benefit Emcee


Elaine Rojas-Castillo
High Jump Cohort 14
Reporter/Multimedia Journalist, WTMJ-TV


Guest Speaker


Richard Mbouombouo
High Jump Cohort 23
Fixed Income Research Analyst, PPM America


Guest Speaker


Eleanor Nicholson
Founder of High Jump

Sponsorship Opportunities

Benefit guests will enjoy an elegant cocktail hour followed by a fine dining experience and an inspiring program.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

120 East Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611

Thank you to our Sponsors!


Presenting Sponsors



Diane Saltoun and Bruce Braun

Paula and Tim Friedman

Michael and Pamela Gordon Family Foundation

John and Jill Levi



Access Sponsors

Brian and Christina Greviskes

Anna Meytina-Lurye and Alexander Lurye

Nicole and Brad Mann

Cindy and Mike O'Connor

Georgy Ann and Bill Peluchiwski

Abby and Mason Phelps



Scholarship Sponsors

Jenny and Jerry Bekkerman

Megan Hodes, Casey Ray, and Emily Bennett

Chris and Elisa Cartwright

Krishnan and Erica Chandrasekhar

Jymme and Steve Chaouki

David Chazen

Sarah and John Cobb

Vince Cozzi

Karen and Arne Duncan

Mary and Christopher Fifield

Meg and Karl Frey

Arla and Joel Gomberg

Krissan and John Jennings

Lena and Andrew Jessen

Karen and Liam Krehbiel

Margaret Egan Lawler and Mike Lawler

Kerrie Maloney Laytin

Kim Lynch

Thomas Meyers and Suzanne Lynch

Matthew D. Means

The Meyers Family

Kim and Manny Picciola

Catherine and Michael Rosenberg

Daisie and Michael Siska

Ramya and Ajay Shah










Opportunity Sponsors

Anonymous

Katie and J.R. Berger

Charlie and Mary Gofen

Eleni and Steve Griesemer

Erik and Adrienne King

Anh and Chu-An Lee

Deneese Walia Levin and Matthew Levin

Nichole Lopez-Tackett

Dara and Ross Milner

Laura and Charlie Tribbett










Enrichment Sponsors

Farah and Praveen Adhi

Heidi Ortolaza-Alvear and Andres Alvear

Sonia Antolec

Arkes Family Foundation

Katie and Chris Barber

Leslie and Bill Barker

Dr. Brandi Kenner-Bell and Juan Bell

Mariana and Paul Ingersoll

Jonathan and Elisabeth Glick

Erin and Jon Grodnick

Sami Chaouki and Scott Hendrickson

Nirmala Gonsalves and Steven Herwick

Cynthia Heusing and David Kistenbroker

Carol Jones and Tom Hynes

Lynn Sasamoto and Todd Kurisu

Wende Fox Lawson and Jim Lawson

Cathy and Mike Lee

Janet and Jon Rauschenberger

Dr. Stephanie Ross

Lisa Walker and William Rudnick

Andrew and Gigi Schwertfeger

Nidhi Agrawal and Noah Weiss







2024 Benefit Committee

Farah and Praveen Adhi

Nidhi Agrawal

Carrie and Rolf Barth

Emily Bennett

Marc and Sarah Bushala

Krishnan and Erica Chandrasekhar

Nichole Charfoos

Michelle and Tom Cusick

Joe and Megan Devaney

Kristen Flather

Eleni and Stephen Griesemer

Sami Chaouki and Scott Hendrickson

Nirmala Gonsalves and Steven Herwick

Megan Hodes

D.J. and Emily Hoffman

Deli and Julie Jimoh

Kelley and Matt Kaleta

Brandy and Tim Kemp

Margaret Egan Lawler

Wende Fox Lawson and Jim Lawson

Anh and Chu-An Lee

Cathy Lee

Kristin Lane Mack

Melissa McMahill

Matthew D. Means

Max Meyers

Kim Picciola

Casey Ray

Rebecca Rokos

Trisha Rooney

Deanna Ryan

Renee Salomon

Lynn Sasamoto and Todd Kurisu

Michael and Donna Sims

Kelly Waters


High Jump Board of Directors


Chair
Cindy O’Connor 


Chair Elect
Lena Jessen 


CVice President
Nick Shields, Cohort 6


Treasurer
Georgy Ann Peluchiwski


Secretary
Sonya Malunda


Immediate Past Chair
Katie Barber


Directors

John Akalaonu, Cohort 4

Omid Bañuelos, Cohort 10

David Chazen

Gina Chen, Cohort 13

Sarah Cobb

Sarah Cogswell

Vincent Cozzi

Karen Duncan

Mary Fifield

Tim Friedman

Wilkingson Germain

Arla Gomberg

Pam Gordon

Shelley Greenwood

Mariana Ingersoll

Krissan Jennings

Erik King

Karen Krehbiel

Sophia Ladouceur 

John G. Levi

Deneese Walia Levin

Kim Lynch

Kerrie Maloney Laytin

Nicole Mann

Thomas Meyers

Anna Meytina-Lurye

Dara Milner

Philip Nevels, Cohort 5

Heidi Ortolaza-Alvear, Cohort 10

Abby Phelps

Janet Rauschenberger

Scott B. Rose

Stephanie Ross

Diane Saltoun

Errett Van Nice

Ramon Villalpando, Cohort 5


Directors Emeriti

Diana Aixalá

Richard J. Almeida

Bill Barker

Sally Carton

Paula H. Crown

Charles S. Gofen

Langdon D. Neal

Annmarie Neumeier

Eleanor Nicholson

Richard Rothkopf

Todd A. Smith

Tina Wardrop


Our Partner Schools