Robin Clenard

For years, Robin Clenard lived for the adrenaline of live events—setting up lighting, sound, and video projections for theatre. It was a career built on sweat, precision, and the magic of the “big show.”

“It’s a great job, but it’s very physically demanding,” Robin explains. “The older you get, the more it breaks your body down. The hours are all over the place. I started thinking, ‘I’d like to have a job with a better schedule.’”

Then, the pandemic hit. For an event worker, the world didn’t just slow down—it shut down. Robin found herself at a crossroads. She needed a new plan that offered security. She’d always been “decent” with computers, but she wanted more than just a hobby. Robin wanted a career.

Robin didn’t just jump into tech; she prepared for it. While waiting for her chance to enter the industry, she spent months watching videos on hardware fundamentals and planning to focus entirely on learning.

When she was accepted into the Per Scholas Philadelphia cohort, she treated the training with the same intensity she brought to her last role.

“It’s a boot camp course—it’s a lot of information crammed into a short amount of time,” says Robin. “I told myself, ‘I’m going to work until I figure it out.’ I didn’t know anything about the insides of a computer, but I wanted to solve the problem.”

One of the most remarkable parts of Robin’s journey wasn’t just her own studying—it was how she brought others along with her. Recognizing the intensity of the curriculum, Robin began hosting nightly Zoom study sessions for her classmates to join.

“I’d share my screen, use practice tests, and we’d go through them together,” she remembers. “We’d all just yell out answers. It made it fun and casual, taking the pressure off. A lot of people told me later that it really helped them stay disciplined.”

Through field trips to local tech hubs and a diverse cohort of peers, Robin realized tech wasn’t just about code—it was about a community of problem-solvers and real support. 

For many, the biggest hurdle to a career pivot isn’t the curriculum—it’s the cost of life during the transition. To provide a safety net, Robin utilized the Per Scholas Zero Percent Loan. 

“It was an emergency fund for me, and I’m glad I did it because I ended up needing it,” Robin shares. “It was easy to apply, and because it’s interest-free, I didn’t have to worry about debt piling up while I was out of work. It let me keep my ducks in a row so I could keep my eyes on the finish line.”

By providing this financial bridge, Per Scholas ensured Robin felt supported during her journey towards a high-growth career.

Today, Robin is a Continuous Deployment (CD) Technician at Bank of America. She is part of a team that acts as the final “gatekeeper” for banking applications. She ensures that code written by programmers is bug-free and that servers function correctly before they go live.

The transition into tech has brought Robin a level of stability that was previously out of reach. Moving away from the full-time, busy “on-call” hours, she now enjoys a predictable schedule that finally allows for a consistent personal life. 

For Robin, stability is just the starting point—she is already leaning into future growth. Between teaching herself Java and AI and joining the new Per Scholas Cloud Security upskilling cohort, she is no longer just looking for a “Plan B.” She is actively building a long-term, evolving career.

“The flexibility is nice, knowing you have job security and the resources to move to a different role when you’re ready,” Robin says. “It’s a commitment, but I encourage people to go for it.”

For those looking at Per Scholas, Robin has a few words of wisdom:

1. Be Patient: The application process takes time, but the wait is worth the reward.
2. Budget Your Time: Treat the course like a full-time job.
3. Find Your Friend: Robin still connects with her former classmate, Ateeya, who now works at the same campus. “It’s great to have someone who understands the journey of a career change.”

Robin’s journey is more than just a personal win—it is a blueprint for how Per Scholas transforms lives. By removing tuition barriers and providing a rigorous, community-driven environment, Per Scholas empowers individuals like Robin to turn their mindset into a professional-grade tech career. 

For Robin, the lights have shifted from the stage to her own bright future, proving that with the right support, a “Plan B” can quickly become the lead role in a life-changing new act.