After an inconsistent start at a community college, Mitchell Nasser, Computer Science, made the decision at age 27 to fully commit to his education, raising his GPA and transferring to UHD in Fall 2023. That decision—along with the opportunities he pursued here—changed his life trajectory.
As a commuter student balancing coursework and a 45-minute drive to campus, Nasser initially lacked a social or academic community. That shifted when he connected with peers who introduced him to Scholars Academy, a competitive program designed to build academic discipline, mentorship, and career readiness in those accepted to its ranks.
Through that support and the confidence it instilled, Nasser began pursuing opportunities beyond the classroom. He attended industry-focused programming through Great Minds in STEM and, encouraged by faculty, applied for a highly selective Department of Defense (DoD) internship opportunity.
He got that internship and went on to work on autonomous robotic systems—an experience that clarified his career direction and strengthened both his technical expertise and ability to communicate complex ideas.
“That experience showed me what I actually wanted to do,” Nasser said. “It made robotics real for me.”
That clarity directly informed his next steps: graduate school and a career in robotics.
Nasser applied to graduate programs in robotics and was accepted into multiple institutions. Ultimately, he decided on the University of Minnesota. He was also selected for the highly competitive Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship, a DoD program that will fully fund his graduate education, provide paid summer internships, and guarantee employment following graduation.
For Nasser, UHD didn’t just provide a degree—it created a direct pathway for him to turn his potential into a fully funded career in robotics.