Drive, Ambition & A DVC Degree Lead to Success at Apple
Jan 19, 2022
As a software quality assurance engineer at Apple and a DVC graduate with an associate in arts degree in psychology, Noor Khan understands what it means to have drive and ambition.
Noor began her path to higher education at DVC’s San Ramon Campus where she was also a student ambassador. Her interest in psychology was ignited during some of her first classes at DVC. “I took Dr. Torre's class, Psychology in Modern Life, and then seriously started considering the degree path. I also took Research Methods in Psychology, with Professor Capazzo, which then inspired me to apply to four-year colleges.”
Noor transferred to the University of Texas to continue her psychology studies. During her PhD program, she landed a job with Apple as a member of their AppleCare Support team.
Noor credits DVC’s psychology program for giving her the critical communication and customer service skills she needed in that job. “There are so many different types of people in the workplace; I can understand others and how they think, as well as adjust to any communication style. A big part of any role is not just technical ability but soft skills like networking, conducting and participating in meetings, communicating with team members, writing emails and talking to other developers and managers on teams that might not have the same domain knowledge.”
Her special interest in software quality assurance led her to continuing education and a new role at Apple as a software quality assurance engineer. Looking back, however, she describes her journey to college as not always so clear.
“When I was a senior in high school, I was not too sure of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. Then I attended a college fair at my high school and saw DVC's high transfer rating. I also went to a college info night at DVC San Ramon campus and the professors were really kind and inspiring. I heard a multitude of wonderful testimonials from students who transferred to four-year colleges and their success stories, which helped to cement my desire to go to DVC.”
What advice does she have for prospective and current students? “Don't underestimate drive and ambition. You can do anything you want if you set your intention and take reasonable measures to get there.” Adding, “I feel really grateful that I went to DVC- I learned a lot of study habits, on the job skills and built good relationships with talented professors.”
Learn more about the psychology degree program.
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