Julius Christian believes you should never stop learning – and he’s taking his own advice as a City College’s student.

Originally from Miami, Florida, Julius earned his bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from Florida Atlantic University. He then went to work for AmeriCorps, National and State division, as a construction crew leader for Habitat for Humanity of Lake County, Illinois. He chose AmeriCorps because it was a great opportunity to serve his country, get some hands-on experience building affordable housing, and contribute to neighborhood revitalization.

He came to Chicago in the end of 2013, wanting to learn more about construction management, affordable housing and urban planning. He got a job working for CVR Associates, which was helping to manage Chicago Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program.

He also found the construction management program at Kennedy-King College’s Dawson Technical Institute.

“I want to make a difference in my community. I knew I wanted to be a respected builder, and that I need to continue adding on to my experience. The construction management program was a perfect fit – and the tuition was affordable,” he said.

What helped even more was when he earned a scholarship from Fortune Brands through the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation, having received emails from the college notifying students of the scholarship application process.

“I was paying my tuition partly out-of-pocket, and partly through loans. When I got this scholarship, it was like a breath of fresh air and really helped relieve some of that stress that paying tuition brings.”

He graduated in the summer of 2019 and had such a good experience that he is now continuing his studies in architecture at Harold Washington College in the Loop. Always wanting to learn more, serve his community, expand his resume and add to his experience, Julius will no doubt have a positive impact in his field and his adopted home, Chicago.