Student of the Month: Edgardo Cornejo

We are super excited to introduce the first Student of the Month from our first-ever class in Per Scholas | Columbus. Meet Edgardo Cornejo.

Edgardo moved to Columbus in mid-June from Florida with his wife and two children to be closer to family. Edgardo was born in Peru, and has been in the U.S. for over 20 years. Edgardo is determined to get back to his career roots — technology. Edgardo was a programmer back in the mainframe days, and then had a small computer business in Tampa where he built, upgraded and serviced computers. Edgardo chose Per Scholas primarily because he could sharpen his technology skills and earn his A+ certification at no cost to him — a price that is right considering his current financial situation.

Edgardo currently works as a chef in a hotel in downtown Columbus. Though we discourage students from working while in our training, which is a full-time commitment with a strict attendance policy, Edgardo insisted he could manage it. After all, he says, “I’ve worked multiple jobs [at once] since I was a teenager,” and gave his word he would never miss a class, never be late, and never leave early. Indeed, Edgardo has kept his word with perfect attendance and a positive energy everyday emerging as a leader in class. He is determined to return to the career that he loves.

“When you meet someone like Edgardo and see the enormous potential, you’re immediately reminded that Per Scholas matters and has a tremendous impact. Edgardo has all the traits an employer needs and wants — rock solid work ethic, a true passion for learning, and unwavering commitment to achieve goals — he just needed an opportunity to prove himself. He will achieve great things returning to IT,” Andrea Applegate, Director of Per Scholas | Columbus, attested.

Edgardo and his 19 classmates are the first class of Per Scholas | Columbus and finish training December 14, 2012. We look forward to seeing Edgardo create one of many first success stories in Columbus in the near future. Best of luck to Edgardo and the entire class!

Read more student stories.