Jess Chu

Faces of omd

FACES OF OMD

jess chu

One Million Degrees coach recognition event at Mesirow Financial in Chicago, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015.

"ONCE YOU START COACHING, MEET THE SCHOLARS AND HEAR THEIR STORIES, THAT'S IT - YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE OMD IS MAKING."

Former Coach and current Chair of OMD’s Associates Board Jess Chu first learned about OMD in 2012 from a mentor at work. After her first year of coaching, she was hooked: “Once you start coaching, meet the Scholars and hear their stories, that’s it – you see the difference OMD is making.”

Since she was young, Jess knew that education was important. Her parents immigrated to the US from Hong Kong with very little, but they stressed the value of a good education and provided her the opportunity to build her own network. After graduating from Northwestern University, Jess launched her career in finance and currently works at Northern Trust.

Jess strives to provide guidance and support for her scholars to enable them to achieve their goals: “At first, I didn’t know how I could help my scholar,” Jess explains, “but I learned I could be a cheerleader in her corner when I found out she was interested in applying to pharmacy school. Even though I’m in finance, there were basic things I could help her with, like prepping for an interview, understanding what an informational interview is, how to engage in a conversation, and so on.

Jess always knew that the way she wanted to make a difference was in education, and she’s found her way in OMD.