If you ask Haily Winick what drives her, you won’t get a rehearsed answer. You’ll get something real.

“I grew up low-income,” she says. “My mom was a single parent. We didn’t have a lot. I didn’t always feel supported. But I knew I wanted to make something of myself—and help other kids do the same.”

Now 20 years old and entering her third year of college at Western Illinois University, Haily is already doing just that. As the incoming 21st Century Site Coordinator at Knoxville Junior High School, she’s stepping into a leadership role that combines academic support, enrichment programming, and mentorship for students who need a steady hand and a reason to believe in their future.

“I’ve only been in the position for 10 months,” she says. “But it’s already been amazing. I love helping students grow—not just academically, but socially, too.”

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, a federally funded initiative, provides extended learning opportunities outside of the regular school day. It’s more than just tutoring. It’s language clubs, debate teams, creative outlets, and real-world skill-building. It’s community. And for many students, it’s the most consistent support they receive.

“We serve about 50% of the student body,” Haily says. “Most of our students come from low-income families. Many will be first-generation college students. We’re not just helping with grades. We’re giving them experiences that build confidence, empathy, and communication.”

Haily speaks from experience. As a high schooler, she participated in the Upward Bound program at Carl Sandburg College—an experience she credits with giving her the life skills and confidence to pursue higher education. She graduated early from Galesburg High School, earned her associate’s degree while still in her teens, and is now majoring in sociology with minors in psychology and human resource management at WIU.

She has no plans to leave Knox County.

“I grew up here. I see the struggles. I lived them,” she says. “And as long as I can keep making an impact in this community, I’m going to stay.”

Her commitment isn’t abstract—it’s intentional, urgent, and hands-on. She sees what students are up against: fractured support systems, social isolation, and a digital culture that warps self-worth.

“Social media has really impacted these kids,” she says. “They don’t know what real life looks like anymore. They’re missing soft skills—eye contact, body language, empathy.”

That’s why her programming goes beyond academics. Clubs that teach collaboration. Spaces where students can express themselves freely. Projects that foster cultural awareness and civic pride. She wants them to see a broader world—and know they belong in it. Her own life is the blueprint.

“I didn’t have the best support system,” she says, “until I found Upward Bound. That changed everything. It taught me how to carry myself, how to communicate, how to make a difference.”

She now plans to become the kind of mentor she once needed—someone who listens, lifts, and leads by example.

“I want these students to know they have a voice,” she says. “That they’re not alone. That big dreams are still possible—even when things feel impossible.”

Knoxville’s leadership team saw that potential in her early. Through a two-day Portrait of a Graduate training, she was introduced to the district’s vision for equipping students with more than just knowledge—skills like problem-solving, adaptability, and ethical citizenship.

“It’s not just a framework,” Haily says. “It’s a promise. It’s a way of saying: we’re going to prepare you for life.”

The energy in the room that day lit something up in her. “The passion I saw from the teachers—it was amazing,” she says. “It made me feel like I was in the right place. Like I was stepping into something that matters.”

And she is.

Because for all the systems and strategies schools can put in place, it’s people like Haily who turn promises into reality. People who carry both the memory of struggle and the fire to do something about it.

She didn’t wait for the world to give her a voice.

She found it.

And now, she’s helping others find theirs.