"Yes, I do belong here": City Colleges Student Earns Scholarship, Internship, Experience this Summer

Cristian Olivares, born on the south side of Chicago, is a young entrepreneur with a plan, but he never intended to go to college nor work with NASCAR.

“My dad went to college and although he didn’t force me, my parents encouraged me heavily to obtain a higher education,” said Cristian. “At first I was against it but I was open to setting up different avenues for myself and I’m surprised as anyone to see how my life road is twisting and turning, all for the better,” he adds.

Because his e-commerce store was and continues to do well, Cristian realized he had a head for business and an entrepreneurial spirit and ultimately changed his mind about college.

Cristian attended Richard J. Daley College and earned his Associate Degree in Arts with a focus on Business Economics. He graduated in May 2023 with plans to transfer to the University of Illinois at Chicago this fall to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Business.

“I’ve had a great experience at City Colleges and the fact that I’m interning with NASCAR this spring and summer, through Daley College, as part of their community relations team, is just incredible. I’m enjoying working with the public but I particularly like working with business owners and operators, answering their questions about the impact of the race on their businesses and explaining how NASCAR hopes to align with them on their goals. Working alongside some of the brightest and most hardworking people in the industry has been a wonderful experience. I’m very lucky to be working with and learning from them on a day-to-day basis.”

Cristian explains he learned about the NASCAR internship from his college advisors. “I owe it all to my advisors Bianca Rodriguez and Julie McCarthy at Daley College. They helped me so much and informed me about the internship and the CME Group Star Partnership Mayoral Award,” said Cristian.

Cristian recently learned that he won a $5,000 college transfer award from CME Group. Cristian said the award will give him peace of mind and pay for some of his tuition and books at UIC this fall.

“I was really impressed that CME Group is interested in financially supporting me and other City Colleges of Chicago students. Meeting CME leaders, in-person along with other students like me, to celebrate this award and learn more about their careers and path to success gave me the confidence to say that yes, I do belong here.”

Cristian’s immediate goals are to learn more about national and international business
and how they connect on a global scale.