The Foundations of Adulthood
Meet Charles
CDI Scholar Class of 2018
Brown University Class of 2022, M.Sc. Class of 2023
I’m the only child of a single mom, born and raised in DC in a family with limited financial means and a deep commitment to education. I always had elders in my family involved with my education. My grandmother and her sister were teachers, so education was never optional — it was mandatory. And it spurred me to develop the grit, persistence, and drive needed to lead my academic journey through unchartered territory.
I’ve always been interested in computers, but I didn’t have any experience with computer science or cyber security. My high school didn’t have an AP computer science course or oth-er resources to nurture my in-terest in the area. I had some great teachers who coached me about supplementing my class-room learning with free online resources to teach myself about computers.
I knew my high school wasn’t going to be able to prepare me fully and that my mom didn’t have the resources to send me to college, so when I became aware of CDI I was excited. My mindset, at the time, was: You’re telling me you’re going to help me with tutoring and test prep and apply to college? Why would I say no? If you’re going to give me the path and open the door, I’m walking through!
Having a reliable CDI counselor work with me every single year to reapply to the FAFSA was so important. Having someone explain my financial situation in the proper context on the applications was extremely helpful. I don’t doubt for a second that the reason I didn’t pay anything for college was because of CDI — that is 100 percent the reason. Of course, I did the hard work to get my foot in the door, but helping me through the financial aid aspect and relieving the related stresses is unbeatable. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
As part of the CDI Scholars Program, my counselors prepared me for the transition from high school to college and from dependent teen to autonomous college student and working adult. In college, it was about the foundations of adulthood — learning how to email some-one, how to create your resumé, how to carry yourself in a business environment, how to address people, and how to dress in certain situations. As I learned all of that, it took the burden off of me from feeling out of place. It helped me get into spaces with people who don’t look like me and feel comfortable know-ing that I can perform and be prepared for it. I realized that it was just the preparation that accounted for the perceived differences. I learned that someone had to sit those other people down too and explain things to them. It just happened earlier for them than it did for me. I am so thankful that CDI helped me to fully understand that and build my confidence to trust myself to know that I do know what I’m doing and to keep pushing!
