Autumn Truong

Autumn Truong graduated from university with a BS in Computer Science. Her graduation coincided with the start of the Covid pandemic, and Autumn had great difficulty securing a job. This shook her confidence and made her doubt her own skills. At the same time, Autumn experienced a death in the family. She describes the beginning of 2021 as a very difficult time for her and her family. “But Per Scholas was like that beacon of hope for me,” she recalled. 

Seeking to gain the hands-on experience that employers were looking for, Autumn stumbled across Per Scholas in an online search. She joined Per Scholas Phoenix’s inaugural cohort as part of the Java Full-Stack Developer course, a move she describes as “probably the best decision of my life.”

The course was intense and included new concepts that Autumn had not been exposed to during her undergraduate degree. However, Autumn enjoyed it a great deal and liked the teaching style of her instructors, as well as the resources they provided to continue learning both inside and outside the classroom. “I wasn’t expecting to receive such support,” Autumn reflected. “It went beyond my expectations.”

Autumn was also very interested in the networking opportunities that Per Scholas provided. As an introvert, she often experienced difficulty coming out of her shell, but she felt that Per Scholas offered a great opportunity for her to challenge herself and connect with her classmates. “I was able to connect with amazing individuals. All the learners were so talented and inspired me to do better myself. I learned a lot of things, and I feel like I was able to grow, not just professionally, but as a person.”

Autumn was receiving job offers before she had even completed the course. She recently accepted an offer of an apprenticeship with Republic Services, in partnership with TEKsystems. She is excited about the future and hopes to one day help other introverts like her become confident in their own skills and success in the tech industry.