www.negociosnow.com
24 February 2018
Age: 39
Title: At-Risk Youth Coordinator
Name of Organization: Back of
The Yards College Preparatory
High School
Bio: Elvis Ortega fought to get
into college, fought for a career
and now fights for youth in a
high-need community.
Ortega has worked hands-on
with troubled youth to get them
back into school and enrolled in
community college. He also wor-
ked in a director-level position to
keep Latinos engaged and en-
sure they earn their degree. He
was later asked to elevate his in-
volvement and lead an effort by
the University of Illinois at Chi-
cago to ensure Latino students
could graduate in four years and
obtain employment upon gra-
duation. Ortega then made the
jump to empower parents and
the families of the youth he has
helped through the Chicago Pu-
blic Schools system.
Ortega made the decision to
return to Back of the Yards, where
he began his career, to work with
youth at the high school level.
Currently, he is an at-risk youth
coordinator responsible for the
guidance and support of students
who require additional assistan-
ce to achieve their academic and
personal goals. Aside from hel-
ping a full caseload of youth, Or-
tega is pursuing a second master's
degree in education.
He also carves out time to
work on his own custom, hand-
crafted furniture company, 1840
Creative, in the same neigh-
borhood where he serves. As a
small business owner, Ortega is
in charge of operations and all
the steel work that goes through
1840 Creative.
Elvis Ortega
Fighting
for youth
and their
education
"E
mbrace the challenge to
be the best version of you,
anything less takes away from the
impact of your success."
Elvis Ortega
