Billal Virani loves College of DuPage because it was close to home, saved him money and gave him a fresh start.

“COD allowed me to gain leadership skills through student government (SLC) as well as go to a great four-year university that I probably would not have gone to otherwise,” he said. “Attending COD allowed me to have an internship locally at Merrill Lynch, which is where I work now.”

Virani, who loves economics because it can be applied to anything, transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He also earned an MBA from University of Iowa. He currently is a wealth management advisor and senior vice president with Merrill Lynch, and Forbes named him “Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” for 2023 and 2024.

“My ultimate goal is to be the best at what I’m doing now, which is service clients and help them through financial advice. I love hearing that I was able to help people feel better or understand their own financial lives, and I hope I can keep doing it,” he said. “Also, I want to be the best dad ever.”

As for COD, Virani advises students to just go for it.

“It’s a great way to transition to college rather than jump right in,” he said. “It’s very difficult to do everything at one time: take college classes, move away from home, learn how to live by yourself. College of DuPage gives you a way to transition into it so you can be successful. Go Chaparrals!”

Learn more about the Economics program at College of DuPage