Five-Star point guard to call Illinois home, Destiny Jackson commits to Fighting Illini

URBANA - The Fighting Illini women's basketball program added another highly touted recruit to its roster last week with the addition of Whitney Young point guard Destiny Jackson. The 5'6" Chicago native will join the team next season after signing a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement during the National Signing Period.

Jackson knew immediately Illinois was the place for her.

"One or two weeks after she got the job, I heard from her (Shauna Green) and it was such a great connection from the start," Jackson told CPSAthletics.com. "They’re building something great. I feel like the impact that Coach Shauna has had, I feel like she’s going to continue the success and I can’t wait to help build on that."

Jackson is ranked as the No. 28 prospect in the Class of 2025, No. 6 at her position, and No. 1 in the State by 247Sports. She is also ranked No. 25 in ESPNW's HoopGurlz rankings.

As a junior at Whitney Young, Jackson was named 2023-24 AP First Team All-State and received AP All-State Honorable Mention her sophomore season. She has also been named First Team All-Conference in the Chicago Public League (CPL) three times.

Jackson is a member of the three-time Chicago Public League (CPL) champion Whitney Young team. She chose the Illini over offers from West Virginia, North Carolina, Baylor, and Arizona.

Jackson is known for her quickness, ball-handling skills, and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates. She averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game as a junior.

Head Coach Shauna Green praised Jackson's talent and work ethic, saying, "Destiny is a dynamic scorer, a dynamic point guard, who's going to be able to lead our team and someone that I know is going to develop into a great leader."

Jackson's commitment adds depth to an Illinois roster that includes current Illini Mia Zenere, who played with Jackson on the Example Sports club team in 2023. The Fighting Illini will look to build on their success from last season, when they reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.

"I chose the University of Illinois because it felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus," Jackson said, who excited to play at the college level with a program she feels values her potential as a player and a person. "Growing up in Illinois, I wanted to stay connected to my roots, and Illinois gives me the perfect balance of familiarity and new opportunities."

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KEYWORDS: Illinois Women's Basketball, Destiny Jackson, Big Ten Athletics, Whitney Young Magnet High School, Illini Basketball Recruit

Federal tax credit is helping clinics expand in low-income IL communities

by Mark Richardson
Illinois News Connection

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CHICAGO - A federal program is awarding billions of dollars in tax credits to spur investment and economic growth in low-income urban and rural communities.

The New Market Tax Credits program has allocated funds to 104 Community Development Entities for projects and job development in Illinois and elsewhere. One such entity, Self-Help Ventures Fund, is investing $50 million in low-income urban, rural and tribal communities.

Sarah Brennan, structured finance sector leader for the fund, said they are focusing their investments on vital entities such as health clinics, charter schools and food banks.

"The program works by the government allocating authority to CDEs like ours to then give that tax credit to projects," Brennan explained. "What that allows projects to do is attract an investor."

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Before the clinic expanded, patients were experiencing long waits just to see a doctor.

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Self-Help has contributed $7 million to fund an expansion of Esperanza Health Centers in Chicago, more than doubling the public health clinic's capacity. Esperanza ranks among the top 3% of clinics nationwide for patient care outcomes. More than 90% of its patients are low-income people of color.

Esperanza recently opened a 40,000 square-foot expansion that will serve more than 23,000 additional patients.

Ryan Gadia, CFO of Esperanza, said Self-Help guided the clinic to connect with new investors for the project.

"Once we were putting together the financing on this building, we worked with a local community development entity, Chicago Development Fund," Gadia pointed out. "It is through them that we got the introduction to Self-Help."

Gadia added before the clinic expanded, patients were experiencing long waits just to see a doctor.

Brennan stressed their goal is more than just building a new building.

"Another remarkable byproduct of these deals is the new jobs that are created, all the different medical jobs, construction jobs, and then jobs like the food service areas," Brennan outlined. "It's a real economic-engine tool."

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