Racquel Raphael

Ask Racquel Raphael about how she found her way into a thriving cybersecurity career, and she’ll tell you straight up: it was pure divine intervention.

After a sudden layoff left her feeling lost, Racquel found herself praying for direction. Then, she came across an ad for Per Scholas.

She took the hint, applied immediately, and never looked back.

Racquel’s journey began at the Per Scholas Pittsburgh campus. Before diving headfirst into the intensive Cybersecurity program, she participated in a pre-enrollment program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania.

It proved to be a game-changer. Not only did she get to bond with her future cohort and meet her instructors, but she walked away with her very first introductory tech certification (ITF+), a refurbished laptop, and a stipend.

“It set the tone. It was fun, and I was getting paid to do it!”

When the full-time Cybersecurity bootcamp kicked off, the pace turned up fast. Racquel soon realized that while the instructors were deeply supportive, they weren’t going to hold anyone’s hand. Success required strict discipline, constant planning, and radical focus.

Her favorite part of the classroom? The immersive, real-world culture. Every morning began with a threat intelligence warm-up: learners had to research a real-world cyber threat, explain what went wrong, and pitch how they’d fix it using their skills.

“Before we even got a certification in our hands, we knew what a day in our lives would sort of look like. We were doing real-world applications.” 

Alongside hands-on labs and threat hunting, Racquel leaned heavily into professional development—strengthening her resume and perfecting an “elevator pitch” she still uses at industry conferences today. She went all in, staying late, retaking ungraded labs multiple times, and soaking up every drop of knowledge. 

Her dedication paid off: Racquel graduated as the Valedictorian of her cohort.

Equipped with a powerhouse stack of certifications, including Splunk, CySA+, and Network+, Racquel took to job boards to land her dream role.

When she applied for an opening at her current company, she was up against over 3,000 applicants. But during the interview, something remarkable happened. Her confidence, vocabulary, and preparation impressed the interviewer.

“When I was doing the interview, she said to me: ‘The job you applied for, you qualify for it. However, after reviewing your resume, would you like to apply for a role with our security team instead? Just the way you talk, you’d be an excellent fit.’”

Racquel jumped at the opportunity. After a swift round of team interviews, an offer letter hit her inbox the same day. She negotiated her salary, accepted, and officially stepped into the tech world. 

Today, Racquel is thriving in a high-impact cybersecurity role, earning an incredible 6-figure salary. Her day-to-day is packed with major, enterprise-level initiatives: 

• Moving Toward Zero Trust: Leading efforts on email security (Proofpoint), revamping guest Wi-Fi, and steering the company’s SASE transition.
• Clearing Tech Debt: Finding and decommissioning legacy Windows servers to keep the network secure.
• Compliance & Federal Standards: Wrapping up CMMC-1 certification for government contracting and helping her company earn ISO 27001 certification.
• Emergency Communications: Personally championing the rollout of emergency alert systems for active shooter and fire protocols.

Her leadership has already earned her stellar employee reviews, raises, and high-visibility projects—like being handpicked by her manager to oversee sensitive payment infrastructure because she “isn’t afraid of change.”

For Racquel, the financial growth is amazing, but the transformation Per Scholas created allowed her to see herself, which is what truly changed everything.

“I have personal growth in terms of a belief that I can do hard things. When I went to Per Scholas, I was at rock bottom mentally… they made me feel that even if things are hard, I can rise above it.”

Now, Racquel comfortably holds her own in rooms full of C-suite executives, presents herself with poise, and actively participates in major tech and cybersecurity conferences across the country.

Looking towards the future of Per Scholas, Racquel offers solid advice for potential learners: “You put in what you put in—whatever you sow into Per Scholas, you’re going to get back tenfold. We do hard things all the time; we just tend to choose the ‘hard’ we want to do. Choose the hard that gives you a benefit at the end.”

As for Per Scholas partners? She adds, “Funding or supporting Per Scholas was one of the best uses of money you have ever made. You have changed lives for the better. Not only did I change careers, but the rooms that have been opened to me, the community built—it wouldn’t have happened without Per Scholas.”