Chicago Tribune

The public school kids from Chicago made their way through Harvard University, cell phone cameras clicking constantly as they tried to grab hold of the history surrounding them.

Karmyn Stewart, 15, froze for a moment just outside the admissions office, suddenly captured by her own history -- not only was she the first in her family to consider the Ivy League, she was the first one headed for any college. She adjusted her glasses to make sure she was seeing it right...