News

Former Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) student Aza Walker welcomes complexity in life. In fact, the chemical engineering student thrives on it. 

“I’ve always wanted to learn about the more complicated things in life,” said Walker, a graduate of the ESLC Upward Bound EC (East St. Louis, Cahokia) high school program. “The more complicated something is, the more I want to find a solution. I figure one of the best ways to do that is to become an engineer.”  

Walker is currently a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana. The 19-year-old chemical engineering major has a 3.5 grade point average. He credits Upward Bound for giving him a “better leg-up” on academics, helping expose him to colleges and providing him with financial aid assistance. 

“Upward Bound added to what my parents (Aza and Felicia Walker) taught me,” Walker said. “My father taught me to work hard and set goals.”

 One such goal is tackling illness, a life complexity according to Walker.

 “I want to make drugs in a lab because I’ve always wanted to cure diseases,” said Walker, a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and American Institute of Chemical Engineers.   

 “Diabetes is the main illness I’ve always wanted to get rid of,” he continued. “My uncle died from diabetes. My grandmother and grandfather have it. Diabetes runs on both sides of my family.” 

 Walker, whose name means comfort in Arabic, added that he wants to assist in the well-being of others whenever he can.

 He’s also interested in math: “I want to teach math in about 20 years. I want to help prepare students going to college, many of whom lack basic math skills.”

 One of the ways that Walker’s hard work has paid off was his winning a college scholarship from the Greater East St. Louis Community Fund (GESLCF).

The Fund awards scholarships to deserving students. If they maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average and remain enrolled in school full time, the students will continue to receive funding. GESLCF  awarded his second year of scholarship funding on July 30.

Walker and other East St. Louis youth received their awards from Honorable U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald G. Wilkerson, of U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Illinois. Wilkerson received his master’s in education from SIUE in 1978 and graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law (cum laude) in 1993.

With a focus on empowering people and strengthening communities, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals—from pre-school through adult—in the Metro East region.  The Center offers programs that give the community renewed hope and an opportunity to reach educational, career and life goals. It does so by providing comprehensive programs, services and training in the areas of education, health, social services and the arts.

Photos:

Aza Walker

Aza Walker (third from the left in front row) is pictured with other Greater East St. Louis Community Fund scholarship winners. The Honorable U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald G. Wilkerson, of U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Illinois, is shown in the center on the back row.