Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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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…
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William Ma
William Ma was the first student to be accepted to Wright College’s Engineering Pathway. He earned his A.E.S from Wilbur Wright College in 2017, and his B.S from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2019. William now works as a product engineer for the architectural division at Masonite International Corporation. Coming from Lane Tech College…
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Jorrie Reed
Malcolm X College mortuary science student Jorrie Reed keeps taking chances—and they keep paying off. Before the pandemic, Jorrie earned her bachelor’s degree in corporate and organizational communication. She also worked as a senior bridal consultant, was the reigning Miss Plus America 2014, and had a passion for the beauty and fashion industries. But when…
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Gabriela Leon
“Metas” is the Spanish word for “goals.” It is also the name of a program at Malcolm X that’s helping students like Gabriela Leon reach their highest potential. Gabriela began taking classes at Malcolm X College in the fall of 2021. For the University Village resident, the college was close to home, making it convenient…
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Maureen Burns
Sometimes it can take longer than we think to find an ideal career path, but we can end up in a great place. It took me a few extra stops on my career journey to figure out what I wanted to do, but I’m proud of where I am today and happy to be making…
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Quintae Dorsey
For lifelong Chicagoan Quin Dorsey, joining the National Guard seemed like a natural fit. “I come from a military family, so I always knew I wanted to do something in the military,” she said. Quin originally wanted to become a combat medic but instead worked in logistics, helping to manage the petroleum supply. She spent…
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Hamza Gayurzoda
“The students I met at Wright College were on par with the students I’ve met at Columbia, and the classes I took – especially the math – were tough. Those classes prepared me to be successful when I transferred.” When Hamza Gayurzoda came to the U.S. from Tajikistan in 2013 after he graduated high school…
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James Featherstone
From art to engineering, my pathway from high school to college wasn’t linear, but City Colleges of Chicago helped me find my next steps. I moved to Chicago from suburban Bartlett just after high school to pursue a degree in fine art. But things changed as time went on, and after a decade in the…
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Rosetta Sellers-Varela
Music has always been one of Rosetta Sellers-Varela’s passions—she’s a professional freelance musician with a degree in music. Now, she’s back in school focusing on her other passion: biological sciences. Rosetta’s love for science and her history with City Colleges of Chicago are both longstanding. She began her college journey studying biology at Western Illinois…
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Eivan Herrera-Valdez
My academic path has been unique, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next. In high school, I took a long bus ride from my Southeast Side neighborhood to Jones College Prep in the Loop each day. I tried my best to be involved in the Association of Latin American students and student…
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