Jedidiah

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.

“I’ve always had a business mind,” he said. “My mom is into business, and I like being a leader—managing people, bringing groups together.”

Jedidiah’s first year at Olive-Harvey College was challenging, marked by instability on the basketball team and frequent roster changes during his freshman season. This year brought a turning point. With a new coach and a restructured roster, the team is now ranked number one in the region and conference, and that athletic success has translated into academic achievement, with 11 of the 15 players earning honor roll recognition.

As the only returning player, Jedidiah has stepped into a leadership role, guiding his teammates both on the court and within the Olive-Harvey community. While balancing a full schedule of classes, practices, games, and his work as a peer tutor, he also makes full use of the college’s student support services to stay on track.

“They hate to see me coming,” he joked. “I’m always in the Wellness Center or the Career Center, and I’m a part of One Million Degrees. Whatever’s there, I’m signing up.”

For Jedidiah, those resources have been essential, especially as an international student living far from family.

“I don’t have family here,” he said, “but I made family here. There were times I didn’t know how I was going to eat or pay rent,” he said. “But the people here—Ms. Tia in the Wellness Center, my One Million Degrees mentor, and Director Bussell—they always connected me to programs that helped me keep going.”

After graduating from City Colleges, Jedidiah plans to transfer to a four-year university on an athletic scholarship and continue his basketball career. Long-term, he hopes to return to Toronto and work in sports management. He already has a foot in the door. Jedidiah works part-time with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the organization behind teams like the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs. What began as an on-call role facilitating basketball clinics has grown into hands-on experience in event planning and sports business operations.

When asked what has helped him succeed, Jedidiah keeps it simple.

“I can get stuff done—I just need the resources,” he said. “There’s no point in making excuses when the support is right there. At City Colleges, the support is right there.”