His Degree, His Dream: Nasir and the World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to North America, and Nasir Rogers will have a front-row seat. Not as a fan, but as someone who helps make it all happen.
Growing up in Virginia, Nasir graduated high school in 2018 and jumped straight into work to help support his family. After moving to Florida, he tried enrolling at a local state college for Computer Science, but working full-time - sometimes two jobs at once - made staying in school nearly impossible.
The turning point came during a grueling stretch of back-to-back shifts at a Palm Beach airport and a hotel, with no days off for months. Scrolling through TikTok one evening, an ad for Year Up caught his eye. A month later, he saw it again during a football game. He signed up.
Nasir enrolled in Year Up's IT track and landed an internship at Concacaf: the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, one of FIFA’s six continental governing bodies. This role was a dream for someone who loves the game. By early 2023, he had a full-time offer.
At first, Nasir was doing IT Help Desk work. Over time, the role grew into something much larger. He began traveling internationally for competitions, managing AV and logistics at governance events, and supporting the behind-the-scenes details that make major tournaments possible. At one championship in Jamaica, he even carried the trophy out on stage.
With the World Cup on the horizon, the stakes — and the excitement — have never been higher.
But even as his career was moving forward, around that same time, Nasir still had a personal goal of finishing his degree. Nasir first heard about Duet through Year Up, but wasn't ready to commit while navigating his internship. When the program came up again at an alumni session, the timing finally felt right. With a full-time role at Concacaf and a work schedule that shifts day to day, the flexibility was everything.
"Duet works perfectly where I can submit a project, the professors give me feedback if the project isn't perfect, and I can get back to it on my own time."
That same flexibility extends to his coaching relationship with LA, who regularly checks in, stays reachable across different channels, and always makes himself available when Nasir needs him most. He's already earned his Associate's degree and is now working toward a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a focus on logistics which are skills he applies every day on the job.
"Duet works perfectly where I can submit a project, the professors give me feedback if the project isn't perfect, and I can get back to it on my own time."
He's the first in his family to graduate, and his younger siblings are watching. The World Cup is coming. Nasir is ready.