Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D.

QuanTâm is a 501c3 nonprofit (EIN: 85-1585782) dedicated to helping one of the most vulnerable populations in society—low-income children feel valued and develop the confidence to take up space. We work with local businesses to provide daily essentials (e.g., clothing, shoes, socks, food, toiletries) to children who desperately need some extra care. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

“Quan tâm,” in Vietnamese (the roots of founder, Lan Nguyen Chaplin), means to do something with heart and to pay attention to small details.
Pronounced like “Quantum,” the team is also high energy.

A note from FOUNDER:  Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D.

WHY QuanTâm

We began our journey together as Team Chaplin. The team was born out of a need to mentor high-performing students who might otherwise not realize their potential if not pushed by someone to aim higher, think bolder, dare to make mistakes and creatively fix them. I have taught over 800 students since arriving at UIC in 2013. I quickly realized that I had some students who didn't see that they weren't being true to themselves and not reaching their potential. I began to host extra office hours with one or two students (who wanted to see a professor during offices) to discuss professional development and to learn about their interests outside of the classroom. My office hours soon grew into small informal workshops, which then grew into more structured workshops for 20 students at a time. We have honest discussions about how we can grow from our mistakes, how we feel empty when we don’t see purpose in our work, and how we need help from each other to make it through the day sometimes. Now, I mentor a group of individuals who are committed to personal growth and making the world a better place. Laughing and crying together—that’s just part of being on this team.

I encourage my team to care deeply about self discovery, personal growth, and professional development so they can make the world a better place. In doing so, I present them with various opportunities to step out of their comfort zone--professional development workshops, team building activities, and most importantly, civic engagement. Each time they step out of their comfort zone, I am prepared to work and learn alongside them. My team likes a good challenge and embraces failure. We're a pretty "gritty" bunch!

In May 2018, I decided to rebrand Team Chaplin to give my students ownership over the team. They have developed their own credibility so why stand behind my name? The rebranding was led by Laura Nicolescu (class of 2018) and Stefano Quaranta (class of 2019) Today, we are QuanTâm. Quan tâm in Vietnamese means to do things with heart and to pay attention to small details. We have 13 current students (who have completed a course with me) and 14 alumni on the team, representing a diverse and inclusive group of thinkers and do-ers, with a lot of spunk and a lot of passion. We have a lot of fun challenging ourselves and supporting each other on this changemaking journey.

I assembled this team to help young individuals grow, but it is they who have helped me grow. I am a better person today because of them.

WHO:
Team QuanTâm— work hard, play hard individuals who care about our community. We are "gritty" and have a true zest for life. We have lots of love for family, friends, our community, and homemade phở— Oh, and foosball too!

WHAT We Do: College students, young professionals and local businesses collaborate on projects to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable individuals in society such as low-income and homeless children and their families, children from minority backgrounds, LGBTQ youth, and at risk high schoolers. College students develop personally and professionally to become the best version of themselves in the process of uplifting their community—It’s a win win.

We constantly work on sharpening professional skills | Show kindness “just cuz” | Laugh | Love | BBQ | Eat phở | Play Foosball | Roast S’mores

Why do I mentor? I love seeing young professionals go through the process of realizing that they play a critical role in making the world a better place. It’s a privilege to work alongside former students to help our community. It gives us all purpose in our work, and purpose is what sustains us.

Recruiting Process:  I recruit in reverse order. Instead of filling positions, I recruit awesome, coachable people 1st, then I create positions and job tasks for members. This allows each member to craft their work and uniquely contribute to the team. The active team roster changes from year-to-year as members graduate but our core values remain the same and alumni always have a place on the team.

Selection Criteria: No Drama | Authentic | Get Shit Done attitude | Coachable | Respectful | Professional | Resilient | Strong work ethic | Creative| Time management | Teamwork | Effective communication | Self-motivated | Willingness to embrace failure | Ability to act on feedback | Committed to civic engagement | Competitive | Kind | Fun | Gritty | Spunky | Spunky | and Spunky

Team Leaders: Yesha Prajapati and Melina Yousif
Student Members: Sana Aktar, Arielynne Arana, Maya Cooks, Shreya Das, Ethan Fridman, Tiana Joy Jackson, Neeraja Kunte, Lizeth Silva, Brandon Torres, Alan Veliyathumalil

Alumni Members: Hubert Deng, Matt Espinola, Bobby Grilli, Dovile Guzauskaite, Saara Hassan, Damon Horn, Gladstone Hukporti, Karolina Godlewski, Alan Gomez, Kayla Hyatt, Noemi Ibarra, Basil Kawash, Ibro Krizevac, Donald LaCombe, Mel Ladowski, Kim Lazzara, Jaime Manriquez, Laura Nicolescu, Julian Northcross, Esteban Paredes, Stefano Quaranta, Allan Rodriguez, Safaa Sarefian, Sierra Saulsberry, Aasumi Shah, Brett Tressen, Crystal Valdovinos, Brady Zabala

Professor Chaplin calls an "Operation" and sends the team on a specific mission: e.g., help the community, self reflection. Here are some operations:
#OperationDunkinDonuts (buy a meal or drink from DD for someone in need)
#OperationSnowAngels (be a kid again and enjoy the simple things in life)
#OperationGratitude (show your gratitude)
#OperationToeWarmers (help someone be a little warmer on a frigid Chicago winter day)
#OperationRAK (random act of kindness)
#OperationIntrospection (Stop and reflect on what makes you happy and what you can do to be even happier)
#OperationGSD (Get Shit Done-be productive!)
#OperationBetterHealth (It’s what it sounds like)