Free Digital Courses Helped This Grad Student Make the Leap Into AI Studies

Free Digital Courses Helped This Grad Student Make the Leap Into AI Studies Mon, 09/28/2026 - 09:05 Subheader After moving to the United States, Rifat Kabir Sharna used free Verizon training to build the skills and confidence to pursue graduate-level AI studies. Body Verizon By Frances Moffett At a glance Free courses build a foundation for AI skills: Rifat Kabir Sharna used free Verizon skill-development courses to build AI skills and strengthen her knowledge of Python programming, leadership and workplace communication while preparing for graduate study. New AI skills drive confidence: The certifications she earned through Verizon’s programs helped strengthen her technical foundation and confidence; she was later accepted into four of the five graduate programs she applied to for a master’s degree in computer science with a focus on AI. Putting AI skills to work in school: Sharna uses AI to research course material and improve her writing, while also building her knowledge through AI coursework and participation in her school’s AI club. When Rifat Kabir Sharna moved with her husband from Bangladesh to Columbus, Ohio, in November 2023, she hoped to build her career in technology.