Felicity Wheatley

Malcolm X College alumna Felicity Wheatley’s educational journey began with some uncertainty but is now filled with determination and ambition.

Initially, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to pursue higher education and began a career as an esthetician to address her own skin condition. However, she realized that while being an esthetician could offer solutions to help her condition, it wouldn’t heal it. That realization, paired with encouragement from her mother—a Kennedy-King College graduate—set her on a path to Malcolm X College. The Star Scholarship helped relieve some of the financial burden for Felicity, covering her books and tuition.

“I liked Malcolm X a lot,” Felicity shared. “The building was amazing, and the staff was so nice. I appreciated the professors and advisors who were committed to my success, and the biology courses prepared me for the next steps in my academic journey.”

Malcolm X College also helped open a lot of doors for Felicity that will help her resume stand out. As a member of Advancing Opportunities for Women in STEM (AOWS) at Malcolm X, Felicity learned about an internship at UIC. She learned quite a bit about coding which helped her during her second internship at Stanford University through the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program.  Felicity spent 10 weeks at Stanford working in a lab and helping scientists improve control systems for an accelerator.

“I even got to talk to a Black dermatologist who started the Skin of Color program at Stanford,” Felicity said. “She told me that if I come back next year, I can shadow her!”

The internship offered not only hands-on experience but also mentorship from leaders in the field. Days after completing the internship, she jumped right into her first semester as a transfer student at UIC, carrying with her the knowledge and confidence gained from working alongside world-class scientists.

As Felicity continues on to the next step of her education, she’s keeping her options for the future open. While her ultimate goal is to become a dermatologist, she’s also considering opening a spa or delving into health and nutrition to further help others care for their skin and overall well-being.

Reflecting on her time at City Colleges of Chicago, Felicity credits Malcolm X College for providing the foundation that allowed her to succeed.