Hello Minds Matter Chicago Community,

I am humbled and excited to be writing this year’s new school year welcome letter while stepping into the role of Board Chairman of Minds Matter Chicago. As someone who has spent years with the organization, I am honored to help lead the organization as we continue to build a program that creates meaningful outcomes, experiences, and connections across both the students we serve and the many volunteers who help to make our program possible.

I’ve been around MMC for almost seven years, originally coming in as sophomore student mentor to Yaharya Gutierrez back in 2019. Within only a few months of joining the organization, I saw and felt the impact MMC was having on both Yaharya and the other students in her class as we dove into the program and the material. What I didn’t expect happening so quickly was seeing and feeling the positive impact the organization had on me. In a world where “connection” has come to mean whether you have wifi signal or not, it was a relief to find connection, in the traditional sense, within an organization being driven by like minded individuals who shared one purpose, goal and commitment. 

As I look ahead to this year, I cannot remember a time with more change taking place across so many different aspects of education, career, and life. As with all change, it can be scary and disorienting and quickly devolve into a mental advanced calculus exam of trying to understand what it might mean for an individual both now and years to come. However, I believe MMC’s program has its roots planted in delivering experiences that are fundamental to the development of the students of today and professionals of tomorrow. Two in particular are more important than ever, cultivating deep relationships, whether it be across mentors and mentees, student to student or volunteer to volunteer, and being able to craft an actionable plan to achieve both near term and long term goals. It’s hard to get to the destination if you don’t know where you want to go, and it’s even more difficult if you don’t have a helping hand. MMC has proven to assist in both.

As we flip the page into the new 2026-2027 school year, I am excited to partner with the many amazing volunteers and work with our dedicated students to continue our mission of helping students develop and feel prepared for the next leg of their educational and professional journeys. 

Sincerely,

Zach Ozog, Board Chair