At 26, Edrees Quddus is back where his college story began, at Diablo Valley College, but this time his mission is different.
Years ago, he walked onto DVC’s San Ramon campus as a business administration major with a clear destination: transfer to UC Berkeley. Today, he’s returned as a biology major, chasing something that’s been calling him since the start, a future in medicine.
Edrees’s initial college journey began with a reality many other DVC students share. He’s the first in his family to attend college. His parents are Afghan immigrants who fled war in the early 1980s, and finances have always been the toughest obstacle.
“The main and only challenge to attending college was financial. My parents did not go to college. We are low income and on food stamps. Money is tight.”
DVC helped Edrees stay in school by meeting his biggest barrier head-on. He says the financial aid office was organized, responsive and hands-on, helping him complete paperwork to maximize the support he qualified for.
One staff member went a step further, helping him research scholarships and encouraging him to apply for the Rossmoor Scholarship, even coaching him through the application and interview process. This support brought in thousands of dollars and made a real difference.
“The financial aid staff member was extremely kind, and she understood my situation. She saw how sincere and passionate I was as a student, but I was financially struggling."
Edrees also appreciated practical, everyday support like the library’s textbook return/exchange option, which helped him avoid paying hundreds of dollars for new books when money was tight.
DVC became his ally in other ways, too. He found professors who didn’t just teach; they truly supported his success. He still remembers Professor Glenn Scott reteaching an entire three-hour math lecture during office hours after Edrees missed class due to severe stomach pain and emergency room visits.
“When it came to academic help, he was always there to help me during office hours and even made extra time.”
That kind of support changed how Edrees saw himself. A student who once struggled with math in high school began earning A’s in every DVC math course and eventually, A’s in every class he took at DVC.
With that momentum, Edrees transferred to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. After graduating, he entered software sales and worked at two well-known AI startups in San Francisco. The work was exciting, fast-paced and financially rewarding.
But his new career also brought a new realization: AI technology was reshaping job security in real time. Edrees looked ahead five to seven years and made a hard, brave choice. He resigned and returned to school full-time.
“I really enjoyed the software sales industry. It's very high-paying and high-growth, but I saw that AI was taking over every job, and so many companies were downsizing and teams were becoming more lean. I realized, I'm in my mid-20s, I could take a risk and continue staying in this industry, but a few years from now, I could be out of a job.”
Now, Edrees’s time back at DVC is focused on completing prerequisites: anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and physics–the foundation needed for medical school or a physician assistant program.
“I'm just glad that I have a resource like DVC close to me that can help me navigate my transition in life and be there to help me achieve all my goals.”
Outside class, he hikes every weekend and volunteers, delivering groceries to the homeless and newly arrived refugees, and tutoring children from refugee families. Service isn’t a side note in his journey; it’s part of why medicine fits.
For prospective students, Edrees’s story is a reminder that college isn’t one straight line. DVC can be a launchpad or a comeback that is close to home, affordable and filled with people who want you to win. Edrees calls DVC “the UC Berkeley of community colleges.” And for him, it’s where the next chapter begins.
Curious about a career in healthcare? Discover what DVC’s biology program can do for you!
