Southland College Prep Seniors Find 'Lane' for Colleges, Universities

A first-generation college student raised by a single mother, Robert Lane knows firsthand “how a college education can transform lives, families and communities—especially for students of color.”

“If it wasn’t for the work of the legendary Silas Purnell who sat me down, got me into school
and showed me the way, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Lane, director of college
admissions at Southland College Prep Charter High School. “He inspired me to do this work so
that I can pave the way for these talented students.”

This year, a record 68 seniors, more than half of the Class of 2023, applied to the University of
Illinois. Of the 48 seniors who applied for Early Action, 41 were accepted, a record 85 percent
acceptance rate for Southland. Two students were admitted to the University’s Grainger School
of Engineering, the number three engineering school in the country.

The other 20 students who did not apply for Early Action will receive their admittance notification in about a month.

Lane was raised on Chicago’s South Side--but like many young African-American boys, grew up
oblivious to the University of Chicago, a world-class institution minutes away from his South
Shore neighborhood.

He met one of his first mentors in the Ida B. Wells housing project – educator and community activist Silas Purnell who during the course of three and a half decades single-handedly enrolled more than 50,000 minority students in institutions of higher education. Thanks to guidance from Purnell, Lane ultimately went on to earn degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Notre Dame.

Founded in 2010 by Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, its CEO, Southland, whose enrollment is not selective
but chosen by an annual lottery, has had a 100 percent college acceptance rate.

Every year, Southland holds a pizza party on the day that the University of Illinois announces its
admissions decisions to applicants. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the
top universities in the country that Southland students choose to attend and as a college
counselor, Lane encourages them to apply to and consider what he calls the state’s “flagship
university” and the ninth ranked public university in the United States.

“These college admissions represent hope for the future of not just these students and their
families, but for our communities in the south suburbs,” Davis said. Sestina Oduro, one of the seniors who found out she was admitted on Friday said she was “very, very excited.”

“This is definitely one of my top choice schools,” Oduro said. “It just has everything I want in a
college and more.”

Since Southland’s first commencement class in 2014, graduates have been accepted to all of
the top ten national universities in the U.S. and 48 of the top 50 national universities in the
country, including all eight Ivy League schools and 8 of the top 10 ranked liberal arts colleges.
Also, Southland graduates have been admitted to every major four-year public Illinois university
and several Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Knowing the transformative power of education fuels Lane to find the best places for not only
Southland students, but also other families who seek his help in guiding their children to
college, just like Purnell did for him.

“You have to see what you want to be,” Lane said. “Many students in underserved communities
have never stepped foot on a college campus.”

With that in mind, every fall, Southland takes the entire junior class to Lane’s alma mater, the
University of Notre Dame, where he earned his master’s degree, for a fully immersive
experience.

This year, the college visit tour was expanded to sophomores visiting Northwestern University
and the freshman class going to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Admissions to the top schools are important,” Lane said. “But equally important is that every
student finds a school that is right for them.”