Chi-Town's Dreamgirl

     If any of you happened to be watching the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday, you may have seen Jennifer Hudson get presented with the award for "Favorite Humanitarian".  That award was only the culmination in a long path which has taken Jennifer Hudson from the streets of Chicago to the red carpets of Hollywood.  In case you've been living under a rock since 2004(and if you have been, boy have you missed out on a lot) here is a quick summation of the career of Jennifer Kate Hudson:

• 2004: Auditions for Season 3 of American Idol, makes it to the Top 7 before getting eliminated(interestingly enough, she would later be cited by the LA Times in May 2010 as the 3rd best Idol contestant ever).
• November 2005: Hudson is cast in the upcoming movie Dreamgirls
• Fall 2006: Hudson announces plans for her first solo album, which would finally be released 2 years later.
• January 12, 2007: Dreamgirls hits theatres, earns rave reviews, and earns Hudson the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
• September 30, 2008: Hudson finally releases her self-titled debut album, which debuts at #2 on the charts.
• October 24, 2008: Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew are murdered in Chicago.  The assailant turns out to be William Balfour, the estranged ex-husband of Hudson's sister. This incredible tragedy is given a thin silver lining with the creation of the Julian D. King Foundation, which has served to improve the lives of Chicago's youth.

     Since her tragic loss, Hudson has soared to new heights, releasing a second album, having a child, an continuing her meteoric rise.  But it is her actions with her charitable foundation that have brought her her newest accolade.  As noted above, Hudson won the 2014 People's Choice Award for Favorite Humanitarian thanks to her work with the King Foundation.  But for those who knew her best, the award proved unsurprising.  "Even back in High School" her former music teacher said, "she would share things with other students."  Quite an auspicious start for a woman who continues to bless us all with her talent, grace, and generosity.