College of DuPage came highly recommended to Amy Adduci.

“I had siblings before me attend COD, and they had nothing but good words to say about the classes and the professors,” she said. “That and it being affordable made it an easy decision to attend COD.” 

Adduci was also named a Deans Scholar, which included a $1,000 annual scholarship and enrollment in the Honors program.

COD and its amazing staff are there to help you become the best student you can be, and you owe it to yourself to reach your absolute best.

Amy Adduci

“I’ve had a wonderful experience being an Honors student and a Deans Scholar,” she said. “Honors courses provide the professor more freedom in the structure of the classes, so students learn the material in unique ways.”

With an interest in science, always one of her favorite subjects, Adduci enjoyed taking courses in Anatomy and Physiology and Biology, which furthered her appreciation of those disciplines.

“COD and its staff and professors helped me build a confidence that I never knew I could have. I would not be the student that I am today without them,” she said. “Professors like Dr. Tara Leszczewicz, Dr. Tom Ruehlmann and Dr. David Taylor gave me more confidence in the study of science and my abilities as a student than I could ever thank them for.”

Taylor praised Adduci as a student who models what the college-level approach to learning science should be.

“She prepared herself by attending lectures and reading at home, organized her knowledge into her own notes, and made careful lists of concepts that she was not 100% sure about. Amy came to office hours regularly with her list and was well-prepared to plug the gaps in her understanding as a result of our meetings. When the exams rolled around, it was no surprise that her dedicated approach consistently yielded very high scores.”

Adduci also received the COD Foundation’s Textbook Scholarship.

“When I took Anatomy and Physiology, this scholarship helped pay for the cost of the A&P textbook and lab manual,” she said. “Without this scholarship, I would have had a hard time paying for my required books.” 

Adduci earned her Associate in Science degree and graduated with highest honors, earning a perfect 4.0 GPA. She also received the North Central College (NCC) transfer scholarship, a full-tuition award presented to one COD student annually, and she cannot thank the Honors Committee enough for the opportunity.

Her ultimate goal is to become a dentist. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from NCC and is currently a D3 student at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine.

“My dentist has been working on my teeth for the last 10 years with braces to correct a problem that would’ve required my jaw being broken. His skills inspired me to become a dentist,” she said. “I hope to one day help people like me and give them confidence in their smiles.”

Adduci advises any students considering COD to work hard.

“COD and its amazing staff are there to help you become the best student you can be, and you owe it to yourself to reach your absolute best,” she said. “COD helped me on my journey to meeting my educational goals by providing challenging classes, which laid the groundwork for courses that I took at North Central and courses I’m now taking in dental school. The classes at COD and the professors helped me believe in myself as a person and as a student.”