Jeffrey Jones

I think that PS is one of the best decisions that I ever made. The sense of community, all the information, all the resources that have been provided for me, all of my instructors, my classmates…it has been amazing and I am so grateful that I took the step in this direction and it led me to so many amazing people.
Per Scholas graduate, Jeff Jones

Application Support Analyst

United Rentals

Location

Charlotte, North Carolina

End User Desktop Support

Jeff Jones graduated this year from Per Scholas Charlotte’s End User Desktop Support course. 

Prior to Per Scholas, Jeff, who is a father of two, was working as a chemical engineer. He liked his job, but had realized that he wasn’t super passionate about his work and wanted to make a career change.

“I was at a time in my life where I wasn’t really enjoying what I was doing,” Jeff recalled. “It was time to make a move and Per Scholas granted me the opportunity to do that.” 

Years ago, Jeff had studied IT design and development at Penn State University, but had never completed his degree. Nevertheless, the experience had introduced him to the field of tech and piqued his interest. Jeff had frequently dabbled in tech; he had built his own computer and fixed friend’s and family’s computers for years. Taking this all into account, Jeff decided to try to launch a career in the tech field.

Jeff found Per Scholas through an online search. He initially feared the program was a scam and was hesitant to reply, but he decided to take a leap and go for it. “I didn’t want to look back with the regret of not having done something, when it could have changed the trajectory of my entire life,” Jeff said. “I also regretted not having gone back to school. I am so happy that I got this opportunity…From the first call with Per Scholas, I felt right at home.” 

Jeff really enjoyed his time at Per Scholas, and formed a strong bond with his teachers and classmates. Because he came into the program with some basic IT knowledge, Jeff led study groups for his classmates after class to help everyone grasp the concepts.

“I enjoyed the sense of community and the sense of family that I was able to create with not just my instructors, but also my classmates,” Jeff reflected. “The bond that we grew to have is amazing! I thought it would just be another class where we sit, we learn, we leave, come back, and do it the next day. But the amount of family and amount of community that we created during this course has been an experience that I honestly will never forget.”

One of the goals of the class was to study for and obtain the CompTIA A+ certification. Jeff passed the first certification exam and is currently studying for the second one. He is very excited about it because it is his first IT certification! Jeff has had many job interviews since he graduated and is excited to land his first position in tech.

“After becoming a PS graduate, I have a different level of determination. I have a different level of understanding, learning and adapting to any and all environments…I think that PS is one of the best decisions that I ever made. The sense of community, all the information, all the resources that have been provided for me, all of my instructors, my classmates…it has been amazing and I am so grateful that I took the step in this direction and it led me to so many amazing people.”

Per Scholas Graduate Headshot for Sara Pena

Read the next graduate story

You can teach someone how to code, but you cannot teach passion or drive, and that is what my Per Scholas colleagues and I have.

Meet Sara Peña

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