Major: Engineering
Servando Casillas Garabito was unsure of his educational plans beyond high school when his counselor talked to him about potential paths.
“He gave College of DuPage great praise and respect for its goal to aid and support traditional and nontraditional students,” Casillas Garabito said. “He additionally noted the many scholarship opportunities offered at COD and the amount of financial debt that can be avoided, so I only applied to COD.”
But Casillas Garabito knew if he wanted to follow the higher educational path, he would need access to other resources to support himself. He decided to take a gap year and save money for both tuition and a car for transportation.
When he finally enrolled, Casillas Garabito originally planned to pursue a career as a chemistry teacher. Then he was exposed to engineering through calculus and physics.
“I decided to push what I was capable of and become a chemical engineer,” he said. “Engineering is an incredible field because you will always be learning and faced to approach a situation thoughtfully. The skills I learned during the basic credit requirement STEM classes morphed me into becoming a better problem solver and student, which have prepared me for my transfer school. These classes also had a funny way of bringing people together. STEM, and engineering especially, thrive through the strength of teamwork and collaboration, so experiencing that firsthand was a huge factor in my career change.”
He also applied for and was accepted into the PUMA (Promotion of Underrepresented Minorities in Academic)-STEM Alliance program at COD, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. Casillas Garabito spent one summer at a four-year research university as part of a microbiology team learning how a cancer treatment drug affected the body.
I found that my goals were met extremely well and, dare I say, even better than if I had just gone to a four-year school.
Servando Casillas Garabito
Because the experience exposed him to a scientific research career, he considers PUMA-STEM his greatest opportunity so far.
“The entire summer was filled with communicating with the other undergraduate researchers and our mentor on learning new techniques and science. And that is the greatest strength of PUMA-STEM: It gave me the ability to learn something new and to become part of a team that was also there to learn,” he said. “Thanks to the program, I realized I love research and, due to the experience, I was able to apply to national undergraduate research programs that were much more competitive.”
This included a second summer opportunity at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his group worked with graduate students and postdocs on new and innovative research for polymers.
“It was shocking to realize just how much content I learned from my COD classes—specifically organic chemistry—was being used every day in the lab.”
Casillas Garabito transferred to the University of Illinois Chicago to complete a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He hopes to pursue a research career where he can use science to change lives and an understanding of the world.
He encourages all students at COD to make the most of the academic support available, whether it’s meeting with professors during office hours or working with tutors in the Learning Commons. Casillas Garabito considers these resources invaluable and is grateful for all COD offered.
“Although many would initially think community colleges pale in comparison to four-year universities, they offer incredible advantages that really affect your enjoyment and ability to experience college to its fullest,” he said. “I found that my goals were met extremely well and, dare I say, even better than if I had just gone to a four-year school. For example, due to the smaller class sizes, I was able to connect to my teachers and peers on a closer level, which enhanced my ability to perform in their classes. After all, a good community can make or break having a great experience in anything.
“COD also houses so many incredibly supportive professors and faculty, which allowed me to apply and be accepted into PUMA-STEM and other NSF-funded undergraduate research programs. The faculty and students at COD are truly there to support and empower each other during and after leaving.”
Learn more about the Engineering program at College of DuPage