October Alumni Spotlight: Obidon Bassinan (Gaithersburg High School)

Our October alumni spotlight is Obidon Bassinan, an alumna of Gaithersburg High School in Montgomery County, MD.

Obidon is a 2011 Graduate of Montgomery College, receiving her Associate in Electrical Engineering, and a 2014 Graduate of the University of Maryland, receiving her Bachelors in Electrical Engineering.

Here is what Obidon had to say:

“I am from Togo, West Africa, and moved to the U.S. in 2005 for a better opportunity. The first couple of years here were a big culture shock for me, but LP helped in many ways. LP provided useful information on how to navigate the systems. Through the program, I was able to get information on scholarships, practice resume writing, and job interviews.

The great times during every meeting we had were my favorite part of LP. Listening to the guest speakers talk about their life, career, and personal experience as immigrants was inspiring and informative. I also enjoyed all the field trips to Washington DC and other places. I remember visiting places I wouldn’t have visited on my own if it wasn't for LP.

After graduating, I was able to use the tools LP taught me for both my career and personal life. For instance, I was ready for my first job because LP provided mock interview sessions, which I took advantage of. I knew how to write a resume, which saved me a lot of resume writing center time in college, and plus, I was able to help others with their resumes.

After graduating from UMD, I got a job with the “Patent and Trademark Office'' as a patent examiner where I spent 1.5 years. Since 2016, I have been working for NAVAIR under the department of Navy as an electronic engineer. Through NAVAIR (they pay for my grad school), I received my Master's Degree in Information Assurance from the University of Maryland Global Campus. I am also a mother of a 3 yrs old princess who keeps me very busy.

My advice to younger alumni is to never give up and always seek help when you need it. Also, the most important thing I learned is to network with people because they could be a point of contact, a reference for your future career.”