Augustine Iyoyo A.A./University Transfer Florida Community College, Class of 2003

Engineering a Bright Future

Augustine Iyoyo
Florida Community College, Class of 2003

When Augustine Iyoyo arrived in the U.S. from his native Nigeria, he was in search of opportunity and a brighter future. He knew that education was the key, and when his cousin steered him to FCCJ, it turned out to be precisely the right direction. “He told me that FCCJ had small class sizes and that students have easy access to their professors,” said Augustine. “And above all, the cost of education at FCCJ compared to major colleges is fairly reasonable.”

The oldest of four children, Augustine was thwarted by his attempts to attend college in Nigeria. Despite high scores on his college entrance exams, he found that there is little or no chance for the common citizen to attend college in Nigeria. For him, America indeed turned out to be the land of opportunity.

While pursuing his Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree at FCCJ, Augustine found an ideal way to combine his passion for math and physics. He settled on electrical engineering as a specialty. “I was inspired by Dr. Cyrus Kitto and Dr. Chew-Lean Lee, and I saw this discipline as a field in which I could apply math and science in the design of electrical equipment,” Augustine said.

After earning his degree, Augustine went on to the University of North Florida, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 2006.

“FCCJ indeed helped me launch my career in electrical engineering,” he said. “It gave me the foundation to be a good engineer. I was inspired by the students and faculty members, and I learned that I should not settle for anything less than success.”

Today, Augustine is an electrical engineer for Cummins, Inc. in Columbus, Indiana, a manufacturer of diesel engines. But he is still working toward future goals. “My ultimate goal is the leave this world a better place than I found it,” he said. “I am currently a part-time graduate student at Purdue University, and ultimately I hope to obtain a Ph.D. in electrical engineering so I can educate the future generations to embrace science and technology.”