CHICAGO YACHT CLUB FOUNDATION

BY MEGAN MCNICHOLS MAHON

Margo Cicero was just 11 years old when her parents signed her up for a summer sailing camp that changed the course of her young life. It turns out Margo was a natural on the water and she fell in love with the sport. “I love sailing,” she said. “I love being on the water – it’s the best part of my life.” By the time Margo entered high school, her passion for sailing influenced her thinking about careers. “Why can’t I be on the water as a job?” she thought. Now 18, the 2022 graduate of Chicago’s Whitney Young High School is headed to the US Naval Academy to study nuclear engineering with plans to become a submarine officer. She’ll also sail for the Navy intercollegiate varsity team. A recipient of sailing scholarships from the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation throughout high school, Margo didn’t just sail for Whitney Young, she started the high school team. “I emailed the principal the summer before my freshman year about starting a sailing team,” she said. The principal approved her proposal, and that fall 20 students signed up for the inaugural Whitney Young sailing team. Beyond shaping her college and career plans, Margo’s high school sailing career brought her new friendships and many life lessons; she points to adaptability as the most important life skill she learned from sailing. “There are so many variables in sailing. You can’t predict the shifts in the wind or when a wave will push your bow down,” she said. “You have to read it and react -- and make the right decision in that very moment. That’s been very applicable in my own life.” Margo is among the more than 30 Chicago area teenagers to receive a sailing scholarship from the CYC Foundation in the past two years. “Margo is a great example of the kind of student-athlete the Foundation is committed to supporting,” said Matt Gallagher, chairman of the Grants and Scholarships Committee. “We can’t wait to see what the future holds for her at the Naval Academy and beyond.” Grants and scholarships are just one way that the CYC Foundation supports the Chicagoland community. Visit www.chicagoyachtclubfoundation.org to learn more about the Foundation and watch for news in upcoming Dock Lines and Foundation newsletters. ✶

CYC Foundation scholarship recipient Margo Cicero on the water