Daquari Hollins

When future game designer Daquari Hollins graduated from high school in Minnesota, he knew college was in his future.

Before he started classes at Olive-Harvey College, he spent a year working as an administrator at an after-school program – but he always knew he would start out at a community college.

“College was my number one priority and knew I wanted to go to community college in Chicago. City Colleges helps students like me, who don’t have the finances to pay for expensive schools,” he explained.

He made the most of his time at Olive-Harvey by co-founding the Environment Club and joining the Gaming Club. Thanks to some direction from his mentor and biology professor, Dr. Oliver Pergams, he also landed an internship with the environmental organization the National Audubon Society, learning about invasive species in the field.

But as much as he loved biology, his true passion is to create video games – so once he graduated from Olive-Harvey College in December 2019 with an Associate in Arts, he transferred to Quinnipiac University, a small, prestigious liberal arts college in Connecticut. Thanks to his hard work at OHC and his high GPA, he received various scholarships to fund most of his education.

“Overall, my experience at Olive-Harvey was great. There are so many resources to help you get good grades, meet people, and have a genuine college experience,” he said.

And for anyone just starting out at City Colleges his advice is to “get familiar with your professors, they are committed to their students, and to helping you to figure out your goals. Dr. Pergams especially played a big role in my success, but all the professors were so supportive.”

Ready to start your own journey? Check out the transfer partnerships you can benefit from at City Colleges of Chicago here.