Written by Charlotte Hauptmann
Grace Chapa, crowned Miss Kenosha, formerly a student-teacher at Indian Trail, visits KUSD students to inspire them through her dedication to education, community service, and activism. As an ITHSA alumnus, Grace visits her old teachers, such as Ms. Phillips, whose guidance played a crucial role in her journey.
Her visit in October to the Women’s Empowerment Club was a beautiful reminder of the impact one person can have on a community.
Grace’s enthusiasm for educating young individuals is reflected in her community service initiative, Better Together: Diversifying Higher Education. During her visit, she discussed her mission: to help underrepresented students see college as an option. She understands the challenges that many students face while pursuing higher education. From navigating the complexities of financial aid to overcoming doubts about belonging, first-generation students often have to form a path without help from family.
“I’m trying to get all people excited and involved in going to college if that’s what they want,” Grace explains. “I understand that’s not everyone’s path, and that’s super cool, too. But for students who say, ‘I want to do that, but maybe no one in my family has done it, or maybe my teachers are saying it’s not really an option for me,’ I want them to know that they absolutely can. As a first-generation college student myself, I know it’s not always an easy path to be the first, but my experience at Carthage has been amazing, and I just love school.”
At Carthage College, Grace experienced the transformative power of education and developed a passion for helping others access similar opportunities. During her visit, she noted that first-generation students often feel the weight of being role models while also breaking barriers for their families. By sharing her own journey, Grace encouraged ITA students to persist and believe in their ability to succeed.
Grace’s determination for activism began during her high school career. She was a part of the group of students who developed the Pink Project, a student-led project that brought free menstrual products to classrooms. Inspired by a college visit where she saw similar resources readily available, Grace and her peers envisioned a way to meet the needs of ITA students.
Along with the Pink Project, Grace and her peers worked to initiate change in the student dress code. “We must have had very thick skin,” Grace says, recalling the determination required to gain approval from the school board. “And going to the school board, you guys were very organized. They went every month and it wasn’t ‘Is someone going to?’ It was ‘Who’s speaking at this meeting?’. They decided this was their goal and they were gonna make it happen every month they had two or three speakers and made sure that they were organized in doing that. I remember sitting at those meetings every month listening to people walk up right after them. I specifically remember the girls standing in line to speak and people coming in right after them to negate everything that they said and they still went back every single month,” reminds Ms. Phillips. They went to meeting after meeting, refusing to give up. Their initiative became a reality, paving the way for more student-led projects and setting a model for addressing the needs within ITA.
“And going to the school board, you guys were very organized. They went every month and it wasn’t ‘Is someone going to?’ It was ‘Who’s speaking at this meeting?’. They decided this was their goal and they were gonna make it happen every month they had two or three speakers and made sure that they were organized in doing that. I remember sitting at those meetings every month listening to people walk up right after them. I specifically remember the girls standing in line to speak and people coming in right after them to negate everything that they said and they still went back every single month,” reminds Ms. Phillips.
Grace’s return to ITA served as both inspiration and encouragement for current students. Her story underscores the importance of resilience, community support, and using one’s voice to make a difference. As Miss Kenosha, Grace continues to advocate for equity in education, showing that first-generation college graduates can lead the way for others to follow.