Meet Ali C.

Engineering Science graduate

Ali was born in New York City but spent the majority of his childhood outside the United States. When he returned to the Capital Region as a 19-year-old, he knew he wanted to begin his higher education in the engineering field. The only problem was how to pay for it.

Undaunted, he took a job with New York State Department of Tax and Finance and a part-time job as well. Within a couple years, his savings had grown to the point where pursuing college full-time was a viable option, and Hudson Valley was the logical choice.

“The Engineering Science program is very competitive. You have to be a pretty good student just to get into the program and when I started it had been a few years since high school,” he said. “But the help you can get here in places like the LAC (Learning Assistance Center) is really amazing. My first year, I spent a lot of time in the LAC, working on math and all of my engineering courses. The staff there were always so willing to help.”

In his two years on campus, Ali became more than just an outstanding engineering student. He joined Student Senate and was elected vice president in his second year. He also was asked to fill a student role on the Faculty Student Association board of directors.

He will continue his mechanical engineering studies at Binghamton University in Fall 2019.

“Honestly, I’d say Hudson Valley is a hidden gem. Every class I’m taking will transfer,” he said.