Patrick Pierre-Louis

For many tech professionals, a resume is a source of pride. For Patrick Pierre-Louis, it was a reminder of a career put on pause. Despite a background as a Program Manager in tech, Patrick found himself caught in the ripple effects of industry-wide layoffs. What followed wasn’t just a job search; it was a period of professional and personal turbulence.

While navigating unemployment, Patrick’s situation took a surreal turn. His identity was stolen to commit fraud in California. The legal and financial red tape that followed was a nightmare. 

“I like to protect things by nature,” Patrick reflects. “But dealing with identity theft firsthand—seeing how systems can be exploited—that personal experience drove me. I knew I wanted to be on the side of the people and systems that prevent that from happening.”

Patrick didn’t just need a certificate; he needed a community and a launchpad. He enrolled in the Per Scholas Philadelphia Cybersecurity program, a rigorous course focusing on the CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) certification.

While Patrick was an independent learner by nature, the Per Scholas model offered something he couldn’t find in a textbook: Perspective.

“Learning with other people who are on that same journey is vital,” Patrick explains. “They share ideas and discuss concepts in a way that allows you to grasp things differently. It wasn’t just about the technology; it was about the collective environment.”

The program also addressed a surprising hurdle for the tech veteran: the art of the “self-sell.” Despite a successful background in marketing and sales, Patrick found it hard to advocate for himself during the interview process. Per Scholas’ career coaching helped him refine his pitch and polish his resume. 

Patrick’s journey through the program was a masterclass in time management and grit. To sustain himself, he worked a grueling schedule:

• Monday – Friday: Full-time intensive Cybersecurity training at Per Scholas
• Evenings: Freelance technical work
• Weekends: Shifts behind a bar

“I was exhausted,” he admits. “There were days when the exhaustion was heavy. But the support system at Per Scholas—specifically our instructor assistant—was what kept me going. She didn’t just provide resources; she provided the encouragement I needed to push through to the finish line.”

That determination didn’t just get him through the course—it earned him the highest honor possible. Patrick graduated as the Valedictorian of his cohort, which validated all his hard work.

The true impact of Per Scholas became clear when Patrick was referred to the Bank of America Technology Apprentice Program. Today, he is an Apprentice App Developer, a role that allows him to build the very structures he eventually wants to protect.

“I firmly believe in connective skills,” Patrick says. “Writing code and building apps today is going to make me a much stronger security professional tomorrow. It’s given me a sense of purpose and belonging that I had been missing for a long time.”

Patrick is already looking toward the horizon. With plans to use Bank of America’s education benefits to pursue a degree in Cybersecurity, he is getting the complexity and challenge he craves.

His advice to those following in his footsteps? Value the network. 

“Build in time for networking. Talk to the instructors, talk to your peers, and take advantage of the site visits. Understanding the roles from the people actually doing them is more valuable than any job description.”

Patrick Pierre-Louis’s story is a reminder that while a layoff can pause a career and identity theft can complicate a life, a dedicated community like Per Scholas can help a talented individual regain momentum and protect the future—both their own and the tech world’s.