Kashmir Waller

Before attending Per Scholas, Kashmir Waller had been pursuing a career in tech for over 10 years. She had attended some community college off-and-on and had worked in customer service, but she found herself struggling to break into tech employment with her existing skillset.

Kashmir found out about Per Scholas through an online search and was intrigued by the fact that a tuition-free program was offering such a high level of technical training. Kashmir wanted to refresh her tech knowledge, to improve her skillset, and to learn new tech skills. She decided to apply to Per Scholas as an alternative route to getting started in the tech world, and as a faster and more concise way to earn her certifications.

Kashmir attended Per Scholas Pittsburgh’s IT Support course. The program was full time, 5 days a week, which Kashmir found difficult to adjust to at first, but once she settled into a routine, she began to thrive in the new learning environment. “I enjoyed my teachers and my cohort,” Kashmir recalled. “They were very helpful and encouraging throughout the whole program, and I enjoyed everything about it!”

Kashmir found the professional development training that the course offered to be an invaluable help. “Our teacher was phenomenal in helping us fix our resume, write cover letters…I had never written a cover letter prior to this, but he assisted with that and gave us the skills and encouragement needed to prepare us for job interviews and for future employment.”

Before graduating, Kashmir received a job offer as a Desktop Support Technician at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. She has been there since June and enjoys every bit of it. “Prior to Per Scholas, I wasn’t getting any job offers or having anyone really look at my skills or resume,” Kashmir said. “But since being in [Per Scholas], the job offers were rolling in and I accepted this one, which I love!”

Kashmir plans to keep learning more skills in tech, earning certifications, and growing in her current position. Someday she would like to explore working with servers, or teaching technical skills to others. 

“Per Scholas learners and graduates have such a level of hard work and dedication that they use on a regular basis,” Kashmir said. “To Per Scholas in general, I am very grateful for having this opportunity to further my career in tech. I wish the program luck and success as it continues to spread nationwide!”