Monmouth College grad Abierre Minor '21 named chief of staff for Sen. Mattie Hunter '76

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (08/30/2022) — Monmouth College graduate Abierre Minor '21 has joined the team of another Monmouth grad.

Minor will serve as chief of staff for Sen. Mattie Hunter (D), who has served Chicago's 3rd District as a state senator for the past two decades. A 1976 Monmouth graduate, Hunter was inducted into the College's prestigious Hall of Achievement last fall.

Hunter serves in leadership as the Majority Caucus Chair and is the vice chair of the Ethics and Executive Appointments Committees. She serves on several other committees, including the powerful Executive Committee, and is a member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.

Although Hunter's main focus is the entire state of Illinois, she still keeps an eye on the campus she once called home, serving as a mentor to some of Monmouth's Black students, including Minor, who served as president of the College's student government organization for the 2020-21 academic year, when the COVID-19 pandemic presented many challenges to the campus community.

Minor helped the College respond to those challenges by helping to develop Scots Care, an emergency fund to help students hit especially hard by the pandemic. Among the other areas of focus during her year in charge were mental health awareness, student retention, community building and mentorship opportunities.

"I connected with Sen. Hunter in the fall of my senior year during the political science department's Women's History Month event," said Minor, who earned a degree in political science and international studies. "I remember feeling in awe of her story of young leadership and ambition. Later, when I worked as a policy and budget staffer with the Illinois Legislative Internship program, I had the honor of staffing one of Sen. Hunter's bills on the senate floor. From there, she's served as a mentor and influential person in my life."

In addition to her student government responsibilities at Monmouth, Minor served as head resident of Fulton Hall. The founder of Monmouth Advocating for Multicultural Advancement and Scots Roundtable Talks, she was the recipient of a Student Project Grant from the College's Center for Civic and Social Change. As a junior, she was honored as the Intercultural Life Outstanding Student of the Year. The following year, she received the Charles & Ruth Huseman Award for the senior who best exemplifies service to others.

Hunter, too, has been honored by Monmouth College, and she shared her story while accepting her Hall of Achievement honor during last year's Homecoming festivities.

"Being raised in public housing in Chicago, I got a front-row seat to the many injustices that occurred simply because of the color of your skin," said Hunter. "Even as a young girl, I knew that I could not sit back and watch this happen. I made it my life's mission to do what I could to help bring justice to those unjust systems."

Minor shared a similar sentiment about why she's interested in a life of public service.

"I grew up on the south side of Chicago as the eldest daughter of nine siblings," said Minor. "I love my city and all of its beauty and culture, but I noticed its flaws for the first time when one of my loved ones became a victim of gun violence. Seeing how the circumstances around the tragedy were not isolated but, in fact, common, instilled a fire in me. The citizens of Chicago deserve better. I saw government as the avenue for positive change, so I pursued an education in political science and began serving the Monmouth College community."

During her Hall of Achievement acceptance speech, Hunter said, "My whole political career started right here on campus."

It's quite possible that Minor will have a long political career, too. She said she hopes to run for office one day and be "an accomplished politician."

"I have a plan to make our city and our nation better," she said. "Just wait and see."

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