Lindsey Rivas

Lindsey Rivas walked into rooms where people questioned why she was there. She walked out of Per Scholas knowing exactly who she was.

Born in Indianapolis, Lindsey Rivas later moved to New York, where she found that starting a career in tech was more complicated than she had expected. Although the city offered plenty of opportunities, finding the right path into the industry required persistence and strategy.

For Lindsey, the challenge was not only securing an opportunity. As a Hispanic woman entering a field where she was often underrepresented, she also encountered people who questioned whether she belonged.

“I’ve had multiple people ask me, ‘What are you really here for?’” Lindsey recalled. “And I’d tell them, I’m here to work, just like you.”

After struggling to gain a foothold in New York, Lindsey returned to Indianapolis to explore other pathways. While searching for a way forward, she and a few friends discovered Per Scholas. She enrolled in the IT Support program and began working toward her CompTIA A+ certification.

Her instructor encouraged her from the beginning. Unlike those who had questioned her presence in tech, he never made her feel as though she had to defend her place in the classroom.

Lindsey recalls: “Tommy Arvo was my Indianapolis instructor, and he always advised me, ‘Just get at it. Work hard, study hard. If you have any questions, ask me. I’m here for you.’ Those simple words laid the groundwork for everything that followed.”

“Stepping into tech as a Latina means carrying the weight of being a woman in a male-dominated field and breaking through the persistent stereotype that you simply don’t belong in these rooms.”

The support Lindsey received extended beyond the classroom. Per Scholas instructors and staff encouraged learners to develop professional networks and build the skills needed to navigate the industry.

For Lindsey, those lessons continued to make a difference long after she completed the program.

“The community and support system they built still drives my career forward and opens doors for me today.”

As she completed her training and her career began to take shape, she secured her first IT position in a Tier 1 help desk role with about a week remaining in the program.

“If it weren’t for Per Scholas, I probably wouldn’t have had these opportunities.”

That first role allowed Lindsey to apply her training in a professional environment and establish herself in tech. A year later, she advanced to her current position as a Network Operations Center Technician.

Today, Lindsey’s role includes:

• Supporting more than a dozen nationwide networks
• Monitoring alerts
• Managing tickets
• Communicating with vendors
• Coordinating with engineers when outages require investigation or escalation
• And more

The role requires technical knowledge, strong communication skills, and the ability to remain calm when problems arise.

“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in tech when there’s an outage, users are waiting on you, and the answer isn’t always clear. But staying calm and developing those troubleshooting skills are essential,” she adds.

One of the aspects Lindsey enjoys most about working in tech is solving complex problems.

Now, Lindsey is preparing for her next steps. She is studying for her CCNA certification and hopes to move into a network engineer position. She describes the transition from CompTIA A+ to CCNA as a major jump, but her current role is giving her the experience she needs to move forward.

For others hoping to follow a similar path, Lindsey emphasizes the importance of resilience. Tech can be competitive, and a person’s first position may not be their dream job. Building a lasting career often requires patience, determination, and a willingness to keep learning.

“Ultimately, I want people to find the courage to believe in themselves against all odds.”

Per Scholas did more than help Lindsey enter the tech industry. It gave her the skills, community, and confidence to continue moving forward—and to know that she belongs.