Jesselyn, Indonesia
My name is Florida Cishesa and I am from Bukavu, a city in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2015, my family moved to Lubumbashi and they enrolled me in a high school named Complexe Scolaire Bellevue, which has a partnership with Bellevue College. During my junior year, I received a scholarship to attend a 3-week-long summer program at Bellevue College on leadership and sustainability. In addition, I was selected to join the International High School Completion Program at Bellevue College. In August 2019, I started my journey at Bellevue College. I am currently pursuing my associate degree in Science Track II and I will graduate in Spring 2022.
As I am passionate about STEM, I have always dreamed about pursuing my studies at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). On March 14, 2022, I was humbled to be admitted to the MIT class of 2026. I applied as a first-year student because I am in a high school program, but my college credits will be transferred. I like MIT not only because of the academic opportunities they offer to students but also because of their generous financial aid packages which meet 100% of the student’s financial needs. This is one of the most important reasons I chose to commit to MIT because of the incredible MIT scholarship they offered me.
I spent the majority of my studies at Bellevue College in an online setting, but it was an amazing experience that prepared me for my next academic journey. While in the remote setting at Bellevue College, I got the chance to join the Honor Society Phi Theta Kappa and to become the Vice President of Fellowship of the BC chapter, Alpha Epsilon Rho. We organize volunteering activities like recycling plastic bags by crocheting them into bedrolls that will be distributed to the homeless. I also got the chance to connect with my professors and work on several projects together. They wrote me strong recommendation letters that contributed to my admission into MIT. During my application process, I used several resources that BC provides to students, such as the Academic Success Center, where I received help with the grammatical aspect of my personal statement. I also received assistance from my mentor, my advisor, and my professors. At Bellevue College I met wonderful people, from students to staff, who taught me not to set limits to my capabilities, to embrace challenges, and to learn from failure.
Maria Luisa Cartaxo, from Natal, Brazil. She is pursuing BAS in Information Systems and Technology. She got a total of three Summer internships in her three years of bachelor’s, two of them in big techs (Meta and Microsoft). “Bellevue College has opened doors for me that I never thought I would be able to open. The possibility of participating in several clubs and even opening my own, meeting people from different backgrounds and having incredible professors who helped me put all my theoretical knowledge into practice. All this allowed me to create a great portfolio and attract the attention of big tech’s recruiters. I’m more than happy for being part of this amazing college!”
Last Updated March 10, 2023
