2020 - Jackson Wozniak: ECC gave me a second chance at academic excellence

When I graduated high school in 2017, I did not have the grades or test scores to get into an elite university. Elgin Community College provided me a second chance at academic excellence.  I dove headfirst into STEM coursework and began the academic sequence for an Associate in Engineering Science. Engineering coursework is rigorous; however, ECC provides the toolkit for success. All of my professors are very intelligent and accessible, and my academic advisor always ensured I was on a path to success.

Being involved on campus completed my ECC experience. As a soldier in the Army National Guard, I felt very welcome by Veterans’ Services. I enjoyed being a part of the Military Branches United Club and being inducted into the SALUTE National Honor Society. I also served a year-long term as the Phi Theta Kappa Treasurer. PTK led me to a group of outstanding students, and the PTK officer team always helped me through any challenges I faced.

Thanks to ECC, I had the wonderful opportunity of becoming a NASA Aerospace Scholar. I completed an online program leading up to a research project regarding a theoretical Mars mission. I was selected to represent ECC at a national level at an engineering competition at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

After two years of hard work and dedication to my studies, I am graduating with my Associate in Engineering Science. I will be going to West Point to study Mechanical Engineering, and I feel very prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Jackson Wozniak ‘20
Associate in Engineering Science
Carpentersville, IL