Melissa Romualdo

During her first year at Malcolm X College, nursing student and Little Village resident Melissa Romualdo received the news that she was eligible for free internet service through City Colleges’ Chicago Connected program. The timing could not have been more perfect.

Melissa’s parents decided to cancel their internet service to save on expenses since they were moving to Mexico. That left Melissa without internet access during her first semester. She turned to the public library to complete her coursework, but the amount of time she was able to access a computer there was limited.

Melissa knew she needed a long-term solution. After struggling without internet at home for a month, an email offering free WiFi arrived in her inbox. Intrigued and relieved, Melissa applied for the Chicago Connected program and, soon after, her internet service was restored.

“I was paying home bills like the water bill, electricity bill, and gas bill by myself, so being accepted into the Chicago Connected program and getting my WiFi sponsored lifted a load off my shoulders,” she said. “Chicago Connected helped me focus on what was most important—my schoolwork and doing great in my classes.”

Now, Melissa is able to complete assignments, do research, and read medical articles for her program from the comfort of her own home. She looks forward to graduating from Malcolm X’s Nursing program and going straight into the workforce to help patients in labor. One day, she hopes to return to the classroom to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing.