December 11, 2025
City Academy 2018
Mary Institute and Country Day School 2024
Loyola University Chicago 2028
Every morning, Chloe Martin is up at 6:45 a.m. with a clear thought in mind: “I want to be a doctor. Dr. Martin. It just gets me out of bed.”
Chloe’s drive traces back to City Academy, where she started in Junior Kindergarten. She still keeps the sixth-grade graduation poem she wrote in Mrs. Fennoy’s class. “I still read it, and I still have it in my memory box,” she said. More than the keepsakes, she remembers the environment her teachers created. “They were guiding me, believing in me, inspiring me.”
City Academy also instilled a daily refrain that stuck with her. “The pledge every day [I Can Be My Best] — I still know the whole thing,” she said. “At the time, you don’t really think about it, but saying it each morning does so much.”
Even in Junior Kindergarten, Chloe gravitated toward medicine. “I’ve known that I wanted to be a pediatrician since I was four,” she said. For Career Day, she dressed up as a doctor — an early glimpse of a passion that has only grown stronger. This summer, she completed 130 hours shadowing a St. Louis pediatrician.
Chloe is quick to credit City Academy teachers for helping her build confidence. “Mrs. Oteng, my math teacher, was amazing. I struggled in math and she pushed me to be a better student — even to this day,” she said. Oteng encouraged her to seek additional tutoring. “After she helped me so much, I still needed more practice. Eventually I was able to make A’s in the class.”
City Academy’s specialist model, in which students have different teachers for different subjects, gave her an early sense of independence. “Being able to go from class to class prepared me for secondary school,” Chloe said. “They gave us independence, like writing on our own, but also the guidance we needed. It made the transition so much smoother.”
At MICDS, Chloe threw herself into both academics and activities. She participated in Cultural Leadership’s Transformational Journey, a three-week trip to cities across the East Coast and South that immersed students in social justice and Civil Rights history.
“We got to learn about each other’s cultures, travel to museums and monuments, and really understand people outside of where you’re from,” Chloe said. “I love getting to know people’s perspectives — where they come from, how they live.”
She also attended Mini Medical Camp at University of Missouri, where she explored career paths in the medical field, and was accepted into The Perry Initiative, a program introducing young women to orthopedic surgery and engineering through hands-on experiments and mentorship. Each of these opportunities gave her a clearer picture of who she wanted to be — and the confidence to pursue it.
After graduating from MICDS, Chloe headed to Loyola University Chicago, where she is now a sophomore biology major on the pre-med track. She got involved on campus even before classes began, joining the Center for Diversity and Inclusion’s STEP program to build community. She ran for a seat in the Black Student Union (BSU) and won the role of Freshman-at-Large. This year she serves on the BSU executive board as the CAN (Campus Activities Network) representative. “It was intimidating at first because I didn’t know anybody,” she said. “But it turned out to be so rewarding.”
Along the way, City Academy’s L.E.A.P. Team has remained an important support system. “Ms. Glassmeyer is a really great person — she wants to see us succeed,” Chloe said. From campus check-ins to help with scholarships and applications, Chloe said it makes a difference. “Having someone besides your parents in your corner means so much. It reminds you there are people who want you to do great things.”