Christopher Schaffer

Harold Washington College felt like home to Christopher Schaffer. When he decided to return to school to change careers, there was no other place he wanted to be.

Christopher first attended Harold Washington in 2009, graduating two years later with a degree in music. After graduating, Christopher entered the electronic manufacturing industry before deciding to return to school to Harold Washington to study computer science.

“Even after all of these years, going back to Harold Washington, it feels like I never left,” Christopher said.

The supportive environment and resources were just as helpful as Christopher remembered. The staff at the Transfer Center made transferring to Northeastern University a breeze, while the Career Center helped him transform his resume to land a dream job.

Christopher was excited about what he was learning in his Harold Washington courses and felt prepared to enter the field of computer science, but he wasn’t sure how he would break into the competitive field. The Career Center sent several emails to students about available tech apprenticeship opportunities. Christopher applied to one at JP Morgan Chase, interviewed, and got the apprenticeship.

“There are so many resources at Harold Washington that can just easily open doors for people who want to get into these fields,” Christopher said. “It’s as simple as an email. I responded to an email and just went for it.”

Responding to that email led to a one-year apprenticeship with JP Morgan Chase. He and his team worked with machine learning AI to introduce new technologies to the firm to see how they work with existing applications. After the apprenticeship, Christopher was offered a full-time job at JP Morgan Chase. It’s truly a full circle moment for him as now, in addition to working with a new team, he mentors the interns.

Christopher is grateful for the curriculum at Harold Washington and the resources staff provided him to ensure he was prepared to transfer to Northeastern, excel at an apprenticeship, and later secure a competitive career at JP Morgan Chase.

“This is a competitive field,” Christopher explained. “Having the advantage of an apprenticeship program, you expedite the process. You come out with a ton of experience.”

Christopher has a bright future ahead. He is almost finished with his courses at Northeastern and will soon graduate with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.