When Damonte Woodall needs inspiration, he looks to the skies. It’s also a place where he hopes to spend his career.

“I fell in love with astronomy my senior year of high school, when I took my first astronomy class,” he said. “Then during my freshman year of college, I took a course on stars and galaxies. I knew then that I wanted to pursue a focus in the astronomy field.”

Woodall attended College of DuPage after hearing about its positive reputation. It turned out to be the perfect fit, and he found a mentor in Associate Professor of Earth Science/Astronomy Joe DalSanto.

Everyone at COD will be more than happy to help you, and they want you to know that you are not alone.

Damonte Woodall

“His ‘Stars & Galaxies’ class was the first I ever attended at COD, and I learned so much from him,” he said. “He helped me get my foot in the door when it came to wanting to pursue a degree in astronomy, and he shared his background and some of his experience about what he’s accomplished in the past and how he got to where he is now. There were so many topics that I loved learning with him, from telescopes themselves to how to observe the sky, star life cycles and dark matter/energy, and I’m thrilled that I was able to start my educational career with Professor DalSanto.”

In addition to his science courses, Woodall was impressed with the work he did in math.

“Math is very important for my field, as we have to work with numbers that can be on such high scales, and the equations can be complex and hard to use without a critical understanding of how math works,” he said. “The math classes I took at COD were hard, but they helped me learn effective study methods and a better understanding of math in general, and they helped build my confidence. I felt as though I may not be smart enough to pass my math classes, but I proved to myself that I can do anything if I’m willing to put in the time and effort.” 

While at COD, Woodall received several financial awards, including the COD Succeeds Scholarship, Community High School District 200 Scholarship, and HEERF and Coronavirus Response Student Emergency Funds for fall 2021 and fall 2022.

“This funding helped me with connecting my education. School can be expensive, and luckily, the scholarships aided with the cost of my classes,” he said. “Thankfully, COD is very affordable and allowed me to really go far. There is so much you can learn there, not only from the huge selection of classes but also from the amazing professors who are willing to help as best they can.”

Having earned an Associate in Science, Woodall transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he plans to obtain a master’s degree in either astronomy or astrophysics, after which he would like to work in an observatory lab and research the cosmos.

As for COD, Woodall is grateful the school provided opportunities that brought out the best in him.

“In high school, I always thought I wasn’t cut out for college and that I just wasn’t smart enough, but I’m glad I pushed those fears aside and worked to make my way to where I am today,” he said. “It was not easy at all, and things will get harder, but I’m glad that I proved to myself that I am smart enough, that I set my own limits and that I can achieve my dreams. I found my confidence at COD, and for that, I will be forever grateful. 

“The best advice I can give anyone who is considering COD is don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone at COD will be more than happy to help you, and they want you to know that you are not alone. It may be hard and scary to ask a professor for help or advice, but I can assure you that they will be more than happy to help.”

Learn more about the Earth Science program at College of DuPage