From the Honors Program to the Ivy League
By Daniel Andre Novoa
Personally, Queensborough Community College represents redemption. It was a rare second chance to make something of myself. Some people never find a career path that truly calls to them, but I was lucky enough to find my passion at this school. It started with an introduction to chemistry course (CH-127), which led to a recommendation to the Honors Program. Eventually one third of all my classes were at the honors level. I began doing research in a biochemistry laboratory and have since presented my research at over twenty regional and national conferences. Time moved on, and so did I. I left QCC with an Associate’s Degree. I am a proud alumnus, despite the two hour commute in each direction. Then, I moved on to Queens College and eventually left with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. Now, I’m working toward a PhD in Chemistry at Princeton University on a fellowship that pays my tuition plus money to live on. It all seems quite surreal. I realize now that I have come further than I imagined I would have. Perhaps I have come further than anyone believed I could. Yet, it does not matter where I am or where I will go because I will always remember where I came from. It was the Honors Program at Queensborough that changed the course of my life. Looking back, it was an opportunity worth more than I can truly describe with words, but it is one that I am glad I seized when I had the chance.
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