If you haven’t heard through social media, Chicago’s own Chance the Rapper won not one, but three Grammys this past weekend – an impressive feat for an unsigned artist who graduated from Jones College Prep just seven years ago. As a fellow Jones alum, I am nothing but proud of him.
Chance, or Chancelor Bennett, was a junior by the time I started high school in 2009. I don’t think I spoke to him more than twice, but I do remember seeing him in the hallways. He was one of those students that just radiated positive energy and more often than not, had a group of others around him.
Right before Chance graduated, he was caught hanging out with his friend Mary Jane on the Jones campus (wink, wink). This resulted in a 10-day suspension – the event that spawned his debut mixtape “10-Day.”
From there, Chance began his journey upward. Since the release of “10-Day,” he’s released a number of other mixtapes and records, gotten a slew of merchandise deals and collaborated with a number of famous artists, like Kanye West and 2 Chainz.
Chance has accomplished so much since his time at Jones, and there’s never a shortage of posts about him on my Facebook feed from Jones’ friends and others alike. He’s done amazing things, and I’m sure he’s nowhere near finished with his career.
All I can say is: I’m proud of you, Chance. You’ve gotten pretty far and you can only go farther. I’m happy to call you a fellow Jones College Prep alum. Keep doing your thing and inspiring others, man. I’ll see you out there.
