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When Dr. Kana Nagai first arrived at City Colleges of Chicago, she knew learning English would be a big task. What she didn’t know was that returning to school would open the door to multiple academic degrees, advanced research, and work funded by NASA.
When Dr. Kana Nagai first arrived at City Colleges of Chicago, she knew learning English would be a big task. What she didn’t know was that returning to school would open the door to multiple academic degrees, advanced research, and work funded by NASA. Dr. Nagai began her academic path at Truman College, enrolling in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.
“The teachers were super nice, and the students were incredibly diverse,” she said. “Everyone was struggling with English, but we all had the same purpose. Those conversations inspired me.”
After completing her ESL courses, Dr. Nagai was introduced to Truman’s Gateway Program, a pivotal moment in her academic journey. Through Gateway, she received tuition support for her associate degree, learned about transfer opportunities to four-year universities, and enrolled in college-level coursework.
Dr. Nagai earned her associate degree in engineering science from Truman, taking mathematics courses at Truman and physics courses at Wright College. Not only did Dr. Nagai discover a love for math at City Colleges, but she also credits City Colleges faculty for providing the strong academic foundation that prepared her to transfer to Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). That foundation also helped Dr. Nagai accept an offer to join a PhD program that included full tuition funding and a living stipend as a research assistant.
Today, Dr. Nagai holds a doctoral degree and is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at IIT, where her research focuses on GPS and navigation systems—specifically in improving accuracy in urban environments and creating safer navigation technologies for transportation systems. Her work has been supported by major agencies like NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Nagai says City Colleges played a crucial role at every stage.
“City Colleges always showed me the next opportunity,” she said. “That pathway—from ESL, to Gateway, to transfer—was incredibly important.”
Her advice to current City Colleges students is simple but powerful:
“Focus on what you can do right now. Work hard, and people will notice. City Colleges has professionals who look for students’ potential and help connect them to the next stage.”
From learning English to advancing cutting-edge research, Dr. Nagai’s story is one of what’s possible when opportunity, support, and perseverance meet.
At Olive-Harvey College, Jedidiah is a business management and economics student who wears many hats — student-athlete, peer tutor, and campus leader. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he chose City Colleges of Chicago to pursue his academic goals while continuing his basketball career and preparing for what’s next.
Elisabethe has always been guided by her parents and her calling to serve others.
