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January 10, 2024One of the hallmark characteristics of an entrepreneur is the willingness to take risks. And Century College student Hashim Butt has that quality in abundance. Originally from Islamabad, Pakistan, Hashim is from a family of entrepreneurs and risk-takers. For four generations, his family has owned a business that manufactures leather products.
Century College as a Starting Point
Along with taking risks, higher education is also a family value—and Hashim is from a “Century College family”. His cousin attended the College, and his uncle, who works for 3M, recommended Century as a starting point for Hashim’s career. He encouraged Hashim to save money by getting his two-year degree at the College and then transferring to a four-year university.
Flexible Classes and Employment Opportunities
Coming to a new country is not easy, but Hashim has adjusted well to the College community—and to an entirely different climate. Prior to coming to Minnesota, Hashim had only seen snow in the mountains—and didn’t have to contend with driving during heavy snowstorms. The College’s flexible classes—with a mixture of in-person and online–meant that Hashim had the option of staying home on a snowy day, and working online—and that made a difference while he was adjusting to Minnesota during his first year at Century.
In addition, Hashim met other students and learned about the College by working in different departments around campus, . He started out working in Century’s Bookstore, and now works with Century’s Information Technology department. “All my supervisors and coworkers have been really great,” Hashim enthuses. “ Brian Beahan in the Bookstore, and Nermina Kalesic in IT have been wonderful.”
He adds, “The best teacher I’ve had in my entire life is Alicia Andre in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Yessica Santana in the Multicultural Center is really great.”
With classes and work, Hashim hasn’t had a lot of time for extracurricular activities; however, he did participate Student Life’s Fall ping-pong tournament and won easily.
Future Plans
Hashim is focusing on getting his Associates degree in Computer Science and will continue in Cyber Security when he gets his Bachelor’s degree. He plans to transfer to either the University of Minnesota or Metropolitan State University to complete his four-year degree (and his Master’s).
He’s keeping his options open, and he may work in a corporate setting for a few years before starting his own business. Whichever path he chooses, his future looks bright.
Hashim offers the following advice for new students: “Start at Century College. There are a variety of programs, and the transfer pathways are good, plus, it’s affordable. You won’t waste time or money by going to Century College.”
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