Amra Coralic currently serves as a chair of the executive board of the Aparecio Foundation. Having received her elementary and high school education in the Chicago Public School System, Ms. Coralic has firsthand experience of the challenges that female Chicago Public School students face during the epoch of their academic life. “Overcoming the shortcoming of my early education was neither swift nor easy” (AC).

Ms. Coralic went to graduate from University of Chicago with Honors in Economics. While at University of Chicago, Ms. Coralic was faced with the absence of female leadership and mentorship, which induced her to establish University of Chicago Women in Business (UCWiB), an organization that is aimed at providing mentorship, interview preparation, and networking opportunities for UofC female students pursuing careers in finance.

Ms. Coralic’s path after graduation led her to Wall Street where she worked as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan, and in 2008, she returned to Chicago to work as a private equity associate at Sterling Partners where she currently resides. Through Ms. Coralic’s academic and professional experience, she understands the significance of mentorship and academic and professional guidance, opportunities that many Chicago Public Schools students have not been fortunate enough to have. “We are determined to bridge the gap between the privileged students and those of Chicago Public Schools. The imprints that CPS leaves on its students do not dissipate after the students’ departure,” said Ms. Coralic.