Summer program helps City Colleges students turn curiosity into a career

After Akin Fatoke graduated from high school in Chicago, he set off for college in California, ready to start the next chapter of his life.

But when a family death brought him back home, his path blurred. Determined to try again, he enrolled in City Colleges of Chicago at Harry S Truman College, working toward an associate’s degree in chemistry and math.

Yet the kind of career he hoped for—in research or medicine—required more than just classroom experience. So, when he heard about the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) Summer Program at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), he applied right away.

This summer, he found both a burgeoning network on the UChicago campus and a newfound interest in the latest research that drives medicine and technology. 

“It was a really amazing experience,” said Fatoke, who lives near the UChicago campus. “In science, there are all these different fields you can go into, but how do you meet people in those fields? The program was a great way to get my foot in the door and talk to people to figure out what I want to do.”

Each summer, the CCC program hosts up to 20 City Colleges of Chicago students for a three-week bootcamp in immunoengineering, quantum engineering, and materials for sustainability. Through lectures and laboratory experiences, these community college students learn about opportunities in STEM and gain a network that helps them get a leg up on academic applications and industry jobs.  

Though Fatoke had taken biology and chemistry courses, learning how researchers treat and prevent disease through immunoengineering helped him realize what career he wanted to pursue. 

“I originally wanted to go to medical school, but I also wanted to do research, so I was introduced to students who are doing both their MD and PhD,” he said. “Now I know I want to be a physician-scientist.”

A program to set up students for success

The CCC program has been a core feature of UChicago PME since the school’s launch in 2019. It’s one of several programs that show the school’s commitment to the city of Chicago while helping broaden the pipeline of students into STEM careers.

That sort of commitment is helpful for students like Mia Monterroso, who graduated from Lane Tech College Prep with an eye on a STEM career but unsure which path to choose.

“I didn’t feel comfortable heading directly to college and wasting money when I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said. “So I went to the City Colleges of Chicago, where I knew I could figure things out and choose a STEM major I enjoyed without going into debt.”

As an aerospace engineering major at Wilbur Wright College, she applied to the CCC program to learn more about materials science. When she saw UChicago PME’s state-of-the-art labs, her career goals were crystallized.

“I’d done research before, but this was on a new level,” she said. “Before, I was torn whether I wanted to go into industry or research. But when I saw those labs and made connections between materials science and aerospace engineering, it gave me direction. It proved to me that research is what I want to focus on.”

Back at school this fall, she has already run into other students from the program—a new network for her on campus—and the advanced engineering topics she learned in the program have already helped her in her classes. Now, she’s motivated to finish this year and transfer to get a four-year degree before moving on to a PhD program.

“The CCC program really set me up well,” she said. “Between the fellow interns and professors and advisors, everyone really wants to help you succeed.”