RCC Graduate Jimmy Dong rakes up $100,000 in scholarships

Meet Jimmy Dong. He’s 18 years old. He’s originally from Manhattan, but now calls Red Springs home. He’s a dually enrolled student, meaning he’s in high school and college. On May 8, he will walk across the stage at Robeson Community College, having earned an associate of science degree, and come this fall, he will be attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York on a $100,000 President Merit Scholarship.  

 “I am sort of nervous, but at the same time, I’m excited,” Dong said. “This is like a new experience for me, and sometimes a new change in your environment can be good… you just never know what is ahead of you.”

Dong credits his time at Robeson Community College as giving him a competitive advantage against other applicants.

“I feel like all my efforts of doing work… all the nights of studying, have finally paid off,” Dong stated. “Being in one of the best colleges in Robeson County heightened my application and being an early college student has prepared me for the next chapter of life.”

“It feels like I did more, I saved money, learned more, it was a better choice than the traditional path, with one-on-one learning,” Dong says of attending early college.

Dong plans on majoring in Computer Engineering Technology.

“I want to work for a company like Microsoft, Lenova, or Apple,” Dong says. “I want to become a software engineer.”

Why Rochester Institute of Technology?

“I’ve always had a connection to that school,” stated Dong. “It was the first college that sent me anything and I thought, I might as well apply to this school.”

Dong says RIT sent him a banner to hang on his wall, and that’s where it has been ever since, providing positive reinforcement on the road he should take.

“They have a good co-op program where you can intern with companies and get paid for it,” Dong says. “They are one of the top 5 co-op schools in the country.”

Some of the corporations that provide internships include Texas Instruments and Lenovo, and Dong says “there are way more.”

“I would love to be able to intern with one of those companies and see what is like to work for them.”

“My parents are skeptical,” Dong says about his moving so far away. “They are like, ‘what if you don’t like it,’ and I just tell them, I’ll just move back here, but I at least want to give it a try… I want to explore around, and I see what I like.”

Dong’s brother, Andy, was also an early college student at Robeson Community College, graduating in 2021.

“I look up to him, I want to be just like him, but better,” Dong said with a smile.

“Since middle school, my brother has been my role model,” Dong said. “He got perfect attendance, good grades… I may not have done as good in school as he did…he had a higher GPA and I still may not be at his level, but I’m catching up.”

“In the work field, I want to be better, if not the same as my brother,” Dong added.

Jimmy’s brother is set to graduate from Cornell this month with his Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, setting the bar high.

“I want to get my master’s degree, too,” Dong said. “I want to be singled out from the majority.”

Dong wants to see the world and seize the moment, living life to the fullest and taking every opportunity given to better himself and reach new heights.

“We are all given the opportunities to make the world around us a better place,” Dong wrote in his entrance essay to RIT. “This profound realization serves as a catalyst that encourages me to pursue knowledge and self-improvement…Our experiences—past and present—weave a story of development, transformation, and an unwavering desire for a greater understanding of life.”

“Attending the Early College and RCC… it was all worth it,” Jimmy said. “Community College is all about getting a better education and having opportunities for getting a better job… attending RCC and the early college has been one of the best experiences of my life… I look forward to what my future holds.”