A Winning Formula: UIC-Bound Sisters Plan to Study Chemistry

As identical twins, Karen and Ingrid Diaz are best friends. That means that their mentors – Brigid Daugherty Fox, an Associate Attorney at the law firm Quarles and Brady, and Jen Allen, a Senior Director at FTI Consulting – are in this together.

“What PEAK did for the sisters is to help them be more independent,” said Brigid, Karen’s mentor. Karen used to feel very nervous about going on to college when they first started talking about it. A visit to their mentors' downtown offices was a game-changer for both sisters. “Seeing these huge buildings and people – women – going in and out of them to jobs, that exposure helped them to find direction.”

Just months away from walking in cap and gown to pick up their diploma, the Diaz sisters are now very excited about their next step together: attending University of Illinois - Chicago (UIC) in the fall where they plan to study chemistry.

Throughout their four years, the Diaz sisters have consistently stayed at the top of their PEAK class, and have taken advantage of the opportunities their school environment offers to connect to resources, such as the HighSight program. Last year they joined Holy Trinity’s rowing team. “Getting up early to row in the cold, and being part of a team” pushed them outside their comfort zone and helped them mature, said Brigid.

The girls are still inseparable. When asked if they had ever considered attending separate colleges, the duo replied in unison “nah!”

Gallery: A PEAK Journey -- Karen, Ingrid, Brigid, and Jen