Raymond's Story
My name is Raymond and I came to East West University back in September 2022 with an Associates Degree and no idea what I wanted to major in. When I first transferred into the University, I had taken a few business-related classes and had thought about majoring in Business Administration but my curiosity got the best of me I decided to try something new and go into IT. With that in mind, I went with the Computer and Information Science Program, eager to accept new challenges.
At first, I was apprehensive and nervous as I only had rudimentary knowledge on computers and technology. I had no coding experience but I had a desire to learn and grow. With encouragement and a lot of help from Dr. Injoo Jeong and Dr. Julie Zhang, I was able to learn about databases, SQL, Java, Python and data analytics with large data sets. I also learned how to use Microsoft Office Suite programs for presentations. All this took a lot of effort and studying but in the process, it gave me an unexpected opportunity to become Teacher’s Assistant in the Computer and Information Science Program and reinforce my knowledge but more importantly, graduate with a decent GPA.
After graduation, I was hopeful but cautious going into this tough job market, I decided to take some time off and do a bit of local road trips. As luck would have it, a few months down the line Dr. Injoo Jeong and Dr. Julie Zhang asked me if I wanted to work at the University with faculty and the administrative staff and of course I was excited for the opportunity. So now, I am back at the University as a registrar and learning from faculty and administrative staff.
It's funny how life comes full circle sometimes. When I was younger and even after I graduated East West University, I remember wanting to leave Chicago but now I am thrilled to be back in the city and working at the University. My professors’ guidance played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today and I hope to be able to do the same for students by helping them develop their skills and stay on track to ultimately graduate.