Vernon Givens ‘98 (in memory of Booker T. Jordan Jr.)

North Central alumnus, Vernon Givens, attributes a lot of his understanding about what it means to be a good human and achieve success in his passions to his Uncle Booker. Vernon earned a Computer Science degree from North Central College in ’98 and established a successful career as an IT consultant traveling throughout the US. As he found his footing professionally, Vernon frequently looked to Booker to learn and gain confidence from his Uncle’s influence. Vernon joined Booker in real estate ventures and more recently began pursuing a new construction development business in Chicago focused on multi-million-dollar condominium buildings.

Booker graduated from Westinghouse High School on the West Side of Chicago. He did not immediately attend college. He instead began his professional journey right out of high school at the United States Postal Service. Booker worked for the Post Office for fourteen years, starting as a mailman and eventually transitioning into IT after earning his bachelor’s degree in networking. Booker never shied away from responsibility, going to school nights and weekends while working full-time and staying present in the lives of his friends and family. While earning a degree in Informational Technology was an important accomplishment, it was not Booker’s true passion. He thrived in entrepreneurship where he created several businesses during his life. His business ventures included a convenience store, a laundromat, a real estate development company, an insurance business, and a franchise cleaning business. By the time of his passing, he had built a portfolio of multi-unit buildings throughout the Chicagoland area and had left his day job to fully pursue his passion for business and entrepreneurship.