Nicole Hunt

For Nicole Hunt, the path to tech wasn’t a straight line—it was a winding road paved with resilience, sacrifice, and an unshakable will to provide a better future for her family.

As the sole caretaker of two children for over 15 years, Nicole knew what it meant to make do with the bare minimum. “We survived with the bare minimum,” she shared. “So I was grateful for anything more, even if it wasn’t a lot; it made a difference.”

That difference came in the form of Per Scholas and the Zero Percent Loan (ZPL), which helped her say yes to the opportunity she knew she needed.

Nicole first heard about Per Scholas in an unconventional, but serendipitous, way: through her children’s pediatrician’s office. They knew she was passionate about technology and looking for a new direction after leaving a clerical healthcare job.

“They guided me to the Per Scholas website,” she said. Nicole then enrolled in Per Scholas New York’s IT Support track. 

She adds, “I was amazed to find that it wasn’t just technical training. It was holistic. It was professional development. Financial coaching. Real support.”

The support made all the difference. As a neurodivergent learner, Nicole had always struggled to find learning environments that met her where she was. At Per Scholas, that changed.

“For once, I wasn’t scrambling on my own. I had a financial coach, learner support, even a weekly peer tutor. Everything just came together.”

Still, there was one looming question: How would she manage financially while enrolled in the program?

Enter the Zero Percent Loan. Nicole was initially hesitant—she’d been working hard to dig herself out of debt and didn’t want to go backward. But after talking with her Per Scholas financial coach, she realized the loan wasn’t just doable, it was necessary.

“It made my life feel more manageable. It helped sustain us while I focused on learning. And that meant everything,” said Nicole. 

When asked what she’d tell someone considering the loan, Nicole didn’t hesitate: “Talk to the financial coach. Be informed, weigh your options, but don’t let fear hold you back. For me, it was a short-term decision that made a long-term impact.”

With the confidence and skills she gained at Per Scholas, Nicole landed a role in health tech as a Learning and Development Educator in a major healthcare organization. There, she trained on preparing doctors on how to use transformative technology systems designed to improve patient care, health outcomes for all, and save lives. 

“To be able to teach something I’m passionate about—and teach it to surgeons, no less—that gave me confidence I never had before,” she said. “It was a reminder that I do belong in this field.”

Now, Nicole is focused on growing in the health tech space and continuing to improve and make systems more inclusive for all.

Looking back, Nicole says what stood out the most about her time at Per Scholas wasn’t just the training but also the community.

“There were times we met up just to help each other study. Everyone was invested in everyone’s success. Even the instructors and staff would check in with us when we were struggling—those small moments added up. It was a supportive program, and that made all the difference.”

Her favorite part? Passing her knowledge down to her children, who are now also interested in tech. “Maybe one day, they’ll upskill with Per Scholas, too,” she smiled.

When asked what she would say to her past self, she kept it simple: “Keep going. Keep learning. Stay the course.”

Nicole’s journey reminds us that with the right support, the courage to keep going, and a community that believes in you, even the most challenging paths can lead to life-changing breakthroughs.