Mohammed Khalidi initially planned to attend a four-year university after graduating from high school.

Then COVID-19 hit, and he saw the academic world change.

“While universities went remote and weren’t able to adapt well to the pandemic, College of DuPage was able to adapt perfectly,” he said. “Not only was COD organized with their class registration arrangements, but it was also affordable. Knowing I’d be getting the same education for a lower price, I decided to come to COD, and I am happy that I did. College of DuPage granted me a lot of flexibility when it came to my academic studies, and the faculty are very understanding and supportive.”

Try to focus on making connections and take advantage of all the resources COD has to offer.

Mohammed Khalidi

Undecided about what to pursue, he considered computers and enrolled in his first computer class.

“My initial reason for becoming a computer science major was because I wanted a high-income career that provided a lot of schedule flexibility and remote work opportunities,” he said. “After taking an intro-level course in CIS (Computer and Information Science), I fell in love with the subject, and the rest is history.” 

After receiving the STEM Student Success Scholarship, which is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Khalidi received additional support from Susan Fenwick, STEM student success coach.

“She would constantly check in and provide me with information on new internship opportunities and community events held at COD, such as resume workshops or CIS-related presentations,” he said. “She was always there if you had any questions about school or needed to talk about anything.”

The STEM program also provided Khalidi with a summer internship at Argonne National Laboratory, which he felt was a big first step toward achieving his future goals.

“Being surrounded by so many intelligent individuals who seemed so far ahead of me in things such as coding or math made me feel like I needed to step my game up,” he said. “I talked things over with my supervisor, and he assured me that there isn’t any shame in not knowing as much as my peers as long as I worked hard and completed my tasks. I did that for the remainder of the summer and completed everything that was assigned to me. This internship broadened my knowledge on what to expect within the computer science industry and brought me to a new level of understanding when it comes to coding. I am grateful for the experience and glad that I was able to make the most of it.”  

Having earned his Associate in Science degree and the C++ Language Proficiency certificate, Khalidi is now in COD’s 3+1 program with Lewis University, pursuing his bachelor’s degree in computer science. He also would like to complete the Python Language Proficiency certificate and find another internship or part-time job that could lead to a full-time job offer when he graduates. His goal is a remote position that will allow him to travel more with his family while working.

For students who are confused about their futures and unsure of where to go, Khalidi strongly recommends COD.

“Try to focus on making connections and take advantage of all the resources COD has to offer,” he said. “Go to some of their workshops or join a club or two. College isn’t just about studying and getting good grades. A big part of succeeding in the future depends on how well you can make friends and learning what you can from the people around you to elevate yourself. 

“To everyone reading this, do your best, work hard and play hard. Enjoy these college years the most you can. Your story is what you make of it, and we are all capable of achieving great things as long as we take the appropriate steps to reach them.”

Learn more about the Computer and Information Science program at College of DuPage