Chionque Mines, a senior at Goucher, had the distinct honor of introducing President Barack Obama at the second College Opportunity Day of Action in Washington, DC. This event focused on building college networks to promote student completion, invest in high school counselors, create K-16 partnerships around college readiness, and increase the number of college graduates in STEM fields. Chionque was selected to give remarks by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which has helped support and fund her education for a number of years.
She is majoring in sociology and minoring in women, gender, and sexuality studies at Goucher and is a strong student and leader in the college’s community. Chionque is engaged in community service with Baltimore Collegetown LeaderShape, a program designed for students who have a passion for service and want to be civic-minded leaders. Her vision is to develop an actionable plan to help create equitable living for all people.
At Goucher, Chionque also has served as the president of Umoja, the Black Student Union, and was a community assistant and a peer facilitator. She has been recognized for her leadership contributions on campus with an honorable mention for the Elizabeth Nuss Emerging Leader Award.
Born in north Philadelphia, Chionque is the eldest of seven children. With an absent mother and father, her grandmother raised her until an accident resulted in Chionque’s removal from the home and into the care of a young aunt, who already was raising five other children.
Because of family challenges, Chionque attended three schools for high school. She began at the well-regarded Girls High in Philadelphia then switched for sophomore and junior years to Commonwealth Connections Academy, a public virtual high school. While enrolled at both schools, Chionque attained a near perfect GPA.
During her senior year, Chionque’s family moved to Florida, and she transferred to Palm Beach Central High School. Although she was only at the school for a year, Chionque took all AP and honors classes and worked hard to become an active member of the school community – including starting a club called Voice, in which every student’s voice could be heard on controversial issues.
Goucher is the first school Chionque has attended consistently for all four years. “I really appreciate Goucher and that I’ve been able to have and keep friends and that I’ve really been able to build strong relationships with people at this school, including faculty and staff,” she says. “I’ve really been able to flourish. I love Goucher; I really do.”
After graduating from Goucher next spring, Chionque continues to pursue her interest in the health services field and plans to enroll in graduate studies in nursing and public health.