Major: Associate in Arts
During her senior year in high school, Kristina Huber dropped out and earned her GED at College of DuPage.
“High school just wasn’t for me. I hated everything about it,” she said. “I was diagnosed with ADHD in second grade, so school itself has never been an easy road for me.”
She thought college would be different and began taking classes at COD. However, after some gut-wrenching family news, mixed with several financial hardships, Huber withdrew from all of her classes. She started working and decided to forget about school.
Ten years later, Huber realized she was in a job with no future. So she enrolled in one class at College of DuPage to see if she could do it – and she earned a B, the first time she had ever done so.
“I decided to lower my hours at work and went full force at school. My first full semester I received all A’s,” she said. “With my high GPA, I was able to join Phi Theta Kappa and met the greatest group of people I have ever known. Each of us has completely different interests in life but we have all been brought together by our intellectual strengths and like-mindedness about school. Then I was elected president! If you would have asked me 11 year ago whether I would be president of the honors society, I would have laughed in your face.
“COD completely changed my life. It made me realize I could accomplish goals I never even thought possible.”
When you come to COD, make sure you take advantage of all it has to offer.
Kristina Huber
Huber also earned what was once unthinkable – a scholarship through the College of DuPage Foundation. She received the McAninch Presidential Endowment Scholarship, funded by former COD President Harold D. McAninch.
“With this generous scholarship from him, I could afford to cut back on all my hours working at the restaurant and focus on school. Scholarships like this really do make such a huge impact on the recipient, and I am grateful for it every single day.”
In 2017, Huber graduated for the first time in her life, earning her Associate in Arts degree with high honors. She transferred to North Central College, where she graduated cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management and a minor in Psychology. She also made the Dean’s List and was inducted into four honors societies.
Huber is currently a senior recruiter for Cross Country Healthcare in Naperville. She is excited about her career and is thankful that she returned to College of DuPage.
“It seemed to be the most logical step,” she said. “Everyone I knew went there at some point. It was close to home, and since I was paying for school out of pocket, the price was right. I met some amazing professors who were nothing short of a miracle for me. They pushed me to succeed and not to give up because I felt I was too old.
“When you come to COD, make sure you take advantage of all it has to offer. Don’t just come in, go to class and leave. Get involved! It is a beautiful campus with amazing opportunities for everyone. Some of the best experiences I had at COD were in clubs and organizations. It gives you a chance to meet like-minded people and get involved. The technology and innovation that COD has really makes it stand out from other community colleges.”
Learn more about transfer opportunities at College of DuPage