Menu
A personal sense of determination and resourcefulness, paired with support from his community, has helped Fabrice Kalvanda lay down one steppingstone after another and pave a path to his dreams.
Fabrice arrived in the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2014 ready to pursue higher education. His plans quickly changed, however, when his mother lost her job back home in the DRC. It was like the wind that had pushed him forward on his journey thus far suddenly went still. Both Fabrice and his mother intended that she would support him while he attended school in the United States but now, that was not possible.
Still fully committed to his academic plans, Fabrice regrouped and took a job at a manufacturing factory in Redmond. He would simply save up for a while until he could pay for it himself. The job was not his passion but a steppingstone along the path that would take him where he wanted to go. While he was there, he discovered a keen interest in the technology utilized at the factory and soon realized that he wanted to study computers and technology. On his daily commute from Bothell to Redmond, Fabrice passed the Cascadia campus and imagined that one day he might be studying computer science here.
After saving money for tuition, Fabrice enrolled at Cascadia in 2018. He started in the College and Career Foundation program to study English. Fabrice grew up speaking French and although he had picked up some English during his time in the U.S., there was more to learn as he prepared for the College’s English proficiency exam. All students take this exam before enrolling in college-level classes. It was another stone in the path.
He studied hard and after only two quarters in CCF, he took the English placement exam and placed into the college-level English course, English 101. Like many of Cascadia’s students, Fabrice would continue to work – and limit his enrollment to one couse. Just the same, this was an exciting achievement. He – and Fabrice was ready to start the education he had dreamed of for years.
Right about the time Fabrice was beginning English 101, his first daughter was born. “It was the one of the most beautiful moments in my life! A life-changing moment that required my full attention and dedication.” While fatherhood became another motivating force compelling him to complete his education, he struggled thinking about how he might balance the cost and time commitments of school and having a family. Although it wasn’t easy, he successfully finished the quarter. This achievement, he says, set the tone for his future academic progress. “Persistence is my superpower. You just have to keep going.”
“Fabrice is a fantastic example of how Cascadia can propel students into wonderful career pathways,” said his advisor, Erika.
The following quarter Fabrice enrolled in the associate degree program in web application programming. He took his first programming course and earned a 4.0. He lights up when he speaks about it. “Everything can be solved with programming!” The following quarter he took a business course that sparked a desire to own his own company and began envisioning his future when he would integrate his passion for technology with a business that would give back to the community. Fabrice was steadily paving his path one stone at a time. He continued to take time off to work and save but returned to his studies. Slowly and surely, he made progress, successfully juggling school, work, and a family.
Like so many others, Fabrice lost his job in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. Burdened with the question of how he would continue to pay for school, he spoke with his advisor here at Cascadia, Erika Miller. “Erika is a fortress to achieving my goals. I always had someone to talk to,” he said, as he expressed his gratefulness for the guidance he received. Erika directed him to the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship and other resources including the Cascadia College Foundation scholarships and emergency grant programs. He applied for everything he could.
“Persistence is my superpower. You just have to keep going.”
He was not going to allow the challenges of the pandemic to keep him from his goals. He just needed to find new means to pave his way. Fabrice’s competitive applications earned him not only the Washington State Scholarship, but two Foundation scholarships as well! This went a long way towards covering his academic costs. Where his scholarship awards helped cover tuition, fees and the costs of textbooks, the emergency grant program provided essential support for personal expenses like groceries and rent. Fabrice expressed overwhelming gratitude for the availability of these resources. “Without them,” he said, “I would have had to self-teach [computer] programming and work full time to support my family.”
Fabrice continues to make his way down the road. His path has taken some twists and turns. He is now the father of two little girls and works hard to find a balance between school and family. And he decided to continue his studies and complete a degree in Bachelor of Applied Science in Mobile Application Development. He will graduate in June of 2023. He is excited to move forward in his career and looks forward to creating ways of giving back to the community. He dreams of sponsoring a scholarship to help students like him succeed.
The Cascadia College Foundation provides essential financial assistance to students through scholarships, grants, and other forms of aid – and supports important college programs. Through our support, we enhance student success and strengthen Cascadia College’s community.
© Cascadia College 2023
18345 Campus Way NE • Bothell, WA 98011 • 425-352-8840 • foundation@cascadia.edu