Member Spotlight: Corey Winchester ’10

Posted on Thursday, June 20, 2019

It could be said that Evanston Township High School (ETHS) teacher Corey Winchester ’10 always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. But the idea wasn’t completely his own. He credits his first-grade teacher, Andrea Gray, for planting the seed early on in his life. Growing up in Philadelphia, he says that along with his family, Mrs. Gray helped lay the groundwork and got him thinking about how he could succeed in the Philadelphia public school system. “The relationships she built with each of her students were so strong, because they were truly built on love,” Winchester says. “She also instilled the love of learning in us.”

After graduating from high school, Winchester was drawn to Northwestern and its School of Education and Social Policy (SESP), which he says “stood out as a diamond, a treasure in what Northwestern had to offer.” He especially appreciated the school’s orientation and advising programs. “There was a special attentiveness that was placed on the students in the space,” he says. “I didn’t feel like I would be lost in the soup of a larger institution. Coming from a smaller magnet school in Philly, I really appreciated the small-community feel that was there.”

In fact, Winchester says that his place at SESP was exactly what he needed at the time. As a first-generation college student and later, graduate, he felt he was navigating the experience of higher education alone. “I didn’t necessarily have the generational expertise that a lot of the upper-middle-class families have. I was looking for that level of support, and SESP truly offered it.”

In appreciation, Winchester has given back to Northwestern every year since graduation, which makes him a gold-level member of NU Loyal. He’s mindful of his experience at Northwestern and wants to ensure that students in the future have similar opportunities. “It’s really important for me to make sure that my donations go to helping keep students of color on campus,” he says, “especially those who come from marginalized backgrounds or who don’t have the same resources as do a lot of the students who were my peers at Northwestern.”

Over the years, he has supported African American Student Affairs, Multicultural Student Affairs, and scholarships benefitting minority students at SESP. He says that the school’s recent programs—including the ETHS-Northwestern Partnership Office and Northwestern Academy, where he taught during its inaugural year—have a big impact in the Evanston and Chicagoland communities.

“These are the things that keep me invested,” Winchester says. “It’s really nice to know that whatever little bit I give is beneficial and useful.”

As for Mrs. Gray, she stays in touch, and has been around for lots of important milestones. At this point in life, “she’s family!” Winchester says. He thinks of her a lot, as he teaches juniors and seniors in his history and social sciences classes at ETHS. “The power of what educators do, the basis of that, is built on love. That’s something that I’ve learned to understand is at the core of what we do,” he says.

Winchester’s passion for teaching and giving back was recognized in a big way this year. Out of 550 nominations, he was one of 10 Illinois high school teachers to receive the 2019 Golden Apple award for Excellence in Teaching. Since 1985, this award has recognized exceptional educators who have made an impact since their first day in the classroom.

Winchester, who plans to return to Northwestern to pursue a master of arts in learning sciences, also hopes that more young people go into teaching because of just how important and empowering that relationship between a student and a teacher can be. “I really think it’s important for universities to maintain and advertise their teacher education programs. We need it.”