Student Stories

Hear the student stories from CSI.

International Students Learn How Business Plays a Role in Every Industry

Valeria Ramirez Buenrostro came to the US to break into the film industry. With the help of CSI, she’s learning that the business side of entertainment plays an important role in its success. Valeria Ramirez Buenrostro loves everything about movies. Her favorite film is The Wolf of Wall Street. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s writing scripts. Working in the film industry as a director or an actress is her dream. Right now, she’s opted for a life in Chicago instead of Hollywood.

2025-06-25T11:07:44-05:00June 25, 2025|Student Stories|

International Student Transfers to CSI for a Different Career

Altyn Amandykova has a master’s degree from her home country. But after coming to the US she realized that she wanted something different. Now she is pursuing what she really enjoys. Nuclear physics and business are very different fields, but Altyn Amadykova has experience in both of them. In fact, she has that very specific science degree from her home country of Kazakhstan. Three years ago, she came to the US to pursue the same degree here, “I did a master’s degree in nuclear physics in my home country. I came to America so that I could work on a master’s degree here, but it was hard because it is all in English,” she says. “One day I realized it was something that I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted to do with my life.”

2025-06-25T11:03:32-05:00June 25, 2025|Student Stories|

CSI is an Inexpensive Route to a Second Career for a Military Retiree

Most students at Computer Systems International are in their twenties. Lars Apitz has children who are the same age and older than many of his classmates. After serving 37 years in the German Navy, he wanted to try his hand at a civilian career, “In Germany, a second career isn’t much of an option because you make a good living with your retirement benefits,” he says. “I thought, why not do something for myself and invest in my education?”

2025-06-05T10:19:09-05:00June 2, 2025|Student Stories|

CSI Can Help International Students Bridge to Grad School

Certificate programs can be a valuable asset for anyone. They are less expensive but the classes help students get the knowledge they need for a competitive edge in either the workplace or for furthering their education. Sawaiz Zaka is someone who recognized this and is leveraging the Organizational Administration program at Computer Systems Institute to better position himself as a future graduate student.

2025-05-05T09:17:44-05:00May 1, 2025|Student Stories|

CSI Helps International Students Who Want to Improve Their English

International students are not only far from home, but they are also dealing with the challenge of studying, getting used to a new culture, and many are learning to master their English skills. Learning a new language is hard enough, but in the US, regional accents are common, people speak at different speeds, and even speech patterns can differ. Those things can prove to be a challenge for International students who are not native English speakers.

2025-05-05T09:12:01-05:00May 1, 2025|Student Stories|

Balancing School and Motherhood

Having children is a rewarding experience, but some parents have goals outside of the home. Meet Malak, who recently finished her coursework at CSI. Find out how she was able to invest time in herself while raising a family.

2025-03-19T13:47:08-05:00March 19, 2025|Student Stories|
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