Category: Engineering and Computer Science
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Nick O’Reilly
Three years ago, Nick O’Reilly’s life was so different. He had a bachelor’s degree in film production and graphic design from Loyola University and had been working in the restaurant industry for years. Then, when the pandemic hit, Nick lost his restaurant job and was forced to figure out what was next. One of Nick’s…
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Yessenia Nicacio-Rosales
Growing up, Wright College alumna Yessenia Nicacio-Rosales didn’t see as many women or as much Hispanic representation as she would have liked in engineering. She decided to change that. The South Sider has always liked computers and wanted to know how they worked, but she hadn’t considered turning her interest into a career until coming…
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Edgar Cruz
As Edgar Cruz interns with One Summer Chicago, an internship he found out about through City Colleges of Chicago— he ponders the last couple of years. It’s been a whirlwind for him. Originally from the Southwest Side of Chicago, he graduated from John Hancock High School in 2021 with an interest in engineering and STEM…
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Casey Tan
From a dream of dancing to a passion for engineering, Casey Tan’s journey is an inspiring one. Hailing from the Philippines, Casey and her family made a life-changing move to Chicago in 2011. Although she attended an arts high school where she focused on dance, Casey has always had an interest in STEM and knew…
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Brenda Najjuma
“Ambitious” and “overachiever” are words that have been used to describe Brenda Najjuma. They’re also traits that have gotten her where she is today. Brenda is a computer science student at Wilbur Wright College and a summer intern at Fermilab. She’s been accepted into the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Engineering Pathways Program for the fall…
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Shlesha Patel
Wright College alumna Shlesha Patel has her sights set on a four-year degree in mechanical engineering. Thanks to a scholarship, fellowship, and more, she’s getting closer and closer to achieving that goal. Shlesha was selected from a robust group of applicants as the Fall 2022 TCP-CTA Transfer Scholarship winner, which is administered by the City…
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Dominika Panek
For recent Wright College graduate Dominika Panek, getting involved on campus was an essential part of her college journey. She was an editor for Wright’s Great Books Symposium Journal, a student-run literature publication, and she organized bone marrow drives on Wright’s campus for Be the Match, a national nonprofit organization. Throughout her time at Wright,…
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Selvin Tobar
Selvin Tobar, Wright College’s 2023 valedictorian, grew up on the North Side of Chicago and attended Von Steuben High School, where he discovered an interest in chemistry and engineering. It was there he found out that he could attend his first two years of college for free at City Colleges of Chicago through the Star…
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Jonathan Cifuentes Barrios
Since I was four years old, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. I would play with my toys for a couple of days before breaking them to see how they worked. I knew what I wanted to be, but I didn’t always have a clear path to get there. I’m so proud of…
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Mike Dougherty
When Mike Dougherty graduated from high school in 2021, he was ready to put school behind him and jump into the workforce. A chance email from his high school advisor about an IT apprenticeship program changed his mind. Today, he’s earning his associate degree at Wright College while gaining valuable work experience in the software…