The Connector
Through his roles with Umoja and the DuSable Scholars Program, Roddric Sims helps his community model excellence both on and off campus.
By Justin Howard Rosier
UIC alumnus Roddric Sims BA ’95 stays busy, and February is no exception. As the chair of Umoja, the University of Illinois Chicago Alumni Association’s Black affinity group, he’s throwing four events to coincide with Black History Month while also kicking off the association’s annual membership drive.
“I consider myself at this point the chief marketing officer,” says Sims, who is also the director of DuSable Scholars, a program that identifies and supports underrepresented students in STEM and helps them graduate on time. “Just trying to get the word out there.” Whether relaying the value of community to alumni, or helping students tailor their own paths to success, he speaks with the authority that only first-hand experience brings.
Sims enrolled as a prepharmacy student at UIC, switched to psychology, then received a job offer from an insurance firm directly out of college. A passion for entrepreneurship led Sims to pursue a career as a business coach, which in turn led to him starting his own business helping small business owners maximize their revenue. Then, he documented what he learned in the private sector in two books (The 4 E's of Entrepreneurship; The Profit Pathway). In 2010, Sims was invited as a consultant to launch the "Insurance Career Awareness" series with UIC’s CHANCE program, which aids students in their academic, career-related and personal development goals. He has remained on campus ever since, becoming a career coach with CHANCE in 2020 prior to his current roles.
“This isn’t ‘Hey, I just popped in and I’m trying to move these things forward,’” Sims said. “I’ve been working at this for over 10 years, trying to make things better for students on campus and provide them additional opportunities and exposure to things that they normally wouldn’t necessarily have, and to help them build a successful network that’ll lead them to a successful career in any field that they want long-term.”
This work is particularly relevant to the DuSable Scholars program. In addition to ensuring that all students are meeting strict GPA, networking and conduct requirements, he personally oversees the program’s social media and newsletter, all while thinking of unique ways to market the program and building relationships that benefit its students both inside and outside of UIC.
Students need resources while here, however, and Sims considers it his personal responsibility to put students in front of them. “You can’t make anyone do anything,” he stresses. “But the goal is to make sure that they’re aware of what resources there are and how to access those resources while they’re on campus.”
A huge resource is Umoja itself, which to Sims is integral in establishing a shared cause between multiple generations of alumni. Its 20 for 20 program, in which 20 Black alumni commit to supporting another 20, emerged as a two-pronged strategy of encouraging seasoned graduates to donate their time and resources while motivating new alumni to be proactive in seeking mentorship and opportunities. It is yet another example of how UIC alumni, old and new, construct a path to student success that resonates well beyond campus.
The Connector
Through his roles with Umoja and the DuSable Scholars Program, Roddric Sims helps his community model excellence both on and off campus.
By Justin Howard Rosier
UIC alumnus Roddric Sims BA ’95 stays busy, and February is no exception. As the chair of Umoja, the University of Illinois Chicago Alumni Association’s Black affinity group, he’s throwing four events to coincide with Black History Month while also kicking off the association’s annual membership drive.
“I consider myself at this point the chief marketing officer,” says Sims, who is also the director of DuSable Scholars, a program that identifies and supports underrepresented students in STEM and helps them graduate on time. “Just trying to get the word out there.” Whether relaying the value of community to alumni, or helping students tailor their own paths to success, he speaks with the authority that only first-hand experience brings.
Sims enrolled as a prepharmacy student at UIC, switched to psychology, then received a job offer from an insurance firm directly out of college. A passion for entrepreneurship led Sims to pursue a career as a business coach, which in turn led to him starting his own business helping small business owners maximize their revenue. Then, he documented what he learned in the private sector in two books (The 4 E's of Entrepreneurship; The Profit Pathway). In 2010, Sims was invited as a consultant to launch the "Insurance Career Awareness" series with UIC’s CHANCE program, which aids students in their academic, career-related and personal development goals. He has remained on campus ever since, becoming a career coach with CHANCE in 2020 prior to his current roles.
“This isn’t ‘Hey, I just popped in and I’m trying to move these things forward,’” Sims said. “I’ve been working at this for over 10 years, trying to make things better for students on campus and provide them additional opportunities and exposure to things that they normally wouldn’t necessarily have, and to help them build a successful network that’ll lead them to a successful career in any field that they want long-term.”
This work is particularly relevant to the DuSable Scholars program. In addition to ensuring that all students are meeting strict GPA, networking and conduct requirements, he personally oversees the program’s social media and newsletter, all while thinking of unique ways to market the program and building relationships that benefit its students both inside and outside of UIC.
Students need resources while here, however, and Sims considers it his personal responsibility to put students in front of them. “You can’t make anyone do anything,” he stresses. “But the goal is to make sure that they’re aware of what resources there are and how to access those resources while they’re on campus.”
A huge resource is Umoja itself, which to Sims is integral in establishing a shared cause between multiple generations of alumni. Its 20 for 20 program, in which 20 Black alumni commit to supporting another 20, emerged as a two-pronged strategy of encouraging seasoned graduates to donate their time and resources while motivating new alumni to be proactive in seeking mentorship and opportunities. It is yet another example of how UIC alumni, old and new, construct a path to student success that resonates well beyond campus.
