Born and raised in New York City, Marc attended college in New Haven, Connecticut, and started pursuing a pre-­med degree. However, all wasn’t smooth sailing for Marc. After two years, he couldn’t afford the pricey $40,000 annual tuition; even with student loans, Marc was forced to drop out.

To make ends meet, Marc took a job at MAC Cosmetics, but the position failed to provide any upward mobility. “Furthering my career really matters to me,” shared Marc. Needing a change, Marc started thinking of his knack for technology, often pegged by family members to fix their computers and cell phones. “I have always been IT savvy, but there was no set path into IT in front of me,” he told us. “My friend said to me, ‘Certifications are the key to getting a foot in the door of the tech industry.’”

He immediately started his search for any training programs specifically focused on certifications and came across Per Scholas. “I thought to myself, this is probably too good to be true. There is no way this is free. They are definitely going to want some of my paycheck after.”

He was, of course, proven wrong. He went through the lengthy admissions process which includes an adult education test and multiple interviews with National Capital Region staff. “Once I met the staff, I was really hoping I got in.” 

Marc was accepted. He told us, “I’ve always done things on my computer, but I wasn’t prepared. The course was pretty difficult…I thought it was going to be easier. Time and attendance is critical. I left my house 2 hours early just to make sure that I got there on time, and I only live 30 minutes away.”

Once he adjusted to the heavy workload and hours, Marc found his stride. He says that the Career Development portion of the course was really helpful to his confidence and composure, specifically the resume critique, LinkedIn coaching, and public speaking coaching. “I hate interviews and public speaking, but [Director of Business Solutions and Career Services] Peyton really helped walked us through what to do.”

The final hurdle in the journey was passing exams and finding a job. Marc shared, “I was confident that I would pass, but at the same time I had lingering doubt. It’s scary because you study so hard for the test.” Fortunately, he passed both the 801 and 802 tests the first time, earning his A+ certification. He says, “I was ecstatic. I thought, ‘YES FINALLY!’”

As graduation approached, Marc started putting his career development training to the test by setting up interviews with many different technology companies. “I wanted to work somewhere where I felt at home,” he said. Three weeks after graduation and four interviews later, Marc was hired at Design Data, an IT consulting firm. “This job has the potential to take me somewhere,” Marc said.

Looking back, if Marc hadn’t found Per Scholas, he would still be in the stockroom at MAC Cosmetics with little chance of a lucrative career. In the future, he hopes to build a life in the NCR with his girlfriend Ashley, who supported him throughout the Per Scholas journey. He also wants to learn more about technology by experiencing a variety of different aspects of the industry. He shared, “I like that in IT, you can never stop learning. There is so much to learn. Everything I do, I am thinking about IT. It keeps you on your toes.”

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Aquila Jimenez, a graduate of Per Scholas Atlanta’s IT Support training course, is about to finish her first month as an IT Product Analyst at Worldpay. She is a member of the Solutions Engineering team, responsible for analyzing, designing and developing Worldpay’s systems software.  Her most recent project involved geolocating customer inquiries that will help the Solutions team analyze and understand patterns of support. Aquila goes by AJ and six months ago she said, “I didn’t even know a motherboard was inside a computer.”

AJ, along with many Per Scholas graduates, is a problem solver with a curious mind. Nancy Cox, Senior Vice President for Solutions Engineering at Worldpay remembers their first meeting when AJ shared, “I don’t let things stop me. I dig in until I find it.” For Nancy, and other Worldpay staff who are committed to hiring the best tech talent to suit their business needs, this was an immediate indicator that AJ was perfect for the Worldpay team.

From Nancy’s perspective, “As an employer, what I see are college graduates and participants in other programs who aren’t quite ready to work. When a company brings young talent into the organization, they become a project, because there are so few internal corporate training programs that close the training gaps. We are all wrestling with the tech hire initiative problem, wanting to be able to support people entering the technology workforce where we have many open jobs and nobody appropriate to fill them.”

Before Per Scholas, AJ said she was one of those individuals. After graduating from Spelman College with a degree in Mathematics, she was turned down from countless job offerings because she lacked experience in the technology field. AJ found Per Scholas and a community of educators and students who were excited to launch into a hands-on learning process that gave AJ applied knowledge on specific subjects. “The instructor knew his stuff and constantly related our classroom to things that were going on in the world. When the Note 7 started exploding in everyone’s pocket, our class discussed what was happening, what pieces were malfunctioning, and how it could be fixed.”

AJ met Nancy during a mock interview series that Per Scholas set up with Atlanta employers to offer students a chance to practice their career-ready skills. AJ was quick to tell Nancy about her broad range of interests from hardware and networking to coding. According to AJ, “I am that person that wants to take in as much information as possible and then decide what I want to do with it. I told Nancy, I would work for a company in any position as long as they take my progression seriously. I am not sure exactly what I want to do, but I want to advance.”

Nancy remembered those exact comments as a key indicator to the quality of Per Scholas students in general. For her, Per Scholas students demonstrated that they wanted a better job and income; however they were sincerely interested in technology and building their own knowledge. “Per Scholas is about finding the types of participants who truly want a career in the field and we were sold on AJ’s problem solving capability. She is wired for this and we can fill in the other parts.”

Worldpay, like many employers, is challenged to hire, train and retain a workforce that will continue to grow alongside the tech sector. The company has identified Per Scholas as a pipeline that develops local talent with a strong connection to the business community and local workforce. According to Nancy, “We are on a journey, we want to help the community and while in the process, benefit our own workforce and bottom-line.”

AJ is equally excited about this growing partnership. A new Worldpay headquarters is in Atlanta and there will be many more positions opening in the future, especially on the product development team. There will be training opportunities and career tracks to choose from. AJ speaks fondly about her first month at Worldpay. “I think it has become very rare for companies to take their employees seriously. I feel a certain sense of self-worth I didn’t have before. Getting this job, seeing how everyone else works every day, I don’t have those performance fears anymore.”

About Worldpay:

Worldpay is a leading payments company with global reach. We provide an extensive range of technology-led payment products and services to over 400,000 customers, enabling their businesses to grow and prosper. We manage the increasing complexity of the payments landscape for our customers, allowing them to accept the widest range of payment types around the world. Using our network and technology, we are able to process payments from geographies covering 99% of global GDP, across 146 countries and 126 currencies.  We help our customers to accept more than 300 different payment types.

For more information, visit www.worldpay.com

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Aquila Jimenez, a graduate of Per Scholas Atlanta’s IT Support training course, is about to finish her first month as an IT Product Analyst at Worldpay. She is a member of the Solutions Engineering team, responsible for analyzing, designing and developing Worldpay’s systems software.  Her most recent project involved geolocating customer inquiries that will help the Solutions team analyze and understand patterns of support. Aquila goes by AJ and six months ago she said, “I didn’t even know a motherboard was inside a computer.”

AJ, along with many Per Scholas graduates, is a problem solver with a curious mind. Nancy Cox, Senior Vice President for Solutions Engineering at Worldpay remembers their first meeting when AJ shared, “I don’t let things stop me. I dig in until I find it.” For Nancy, and other Worldpay staff who are committed to hiring the best tech talent to suit their business needs, this was an immediate indicator that AJ was perfect for the Worldpay team.

From Nancy’s perspective, “As an employer, what I see are college graduates and participants in other programs who aren’t quite ready to work. When a company brings young talent into the organization, they become a project, because there are so few internal corporate training programs that close the training gaps. We are all wrestling with the tech hire initiative problem, wanting to be able to support people entering the technology workforce where we have many open jobs and nobody appropriate to fill them.”

Before Per Scholas, AJ said she was one of those individuals. After graduating from Spelman College with a degree in Mathematics, she was turned down from countless job offerings because she lacked experience in the technology field. AJ found Per Scholas and a community of educators and students who were excited to launch into a hands-on learning process that gave AJ applied knowledge on specific subjects. “The instructor knew his stuff and constantly related our classroom to things that were going on in the world. When the Note 7 started exploding in everyone’s pocket, our class discussed what was happening, what pieces were malfunctioning, and how it could be fixed.”

AJ met Nancy during a mock interview series that Per Scholas set up with Atlanta employers to offer students a chance to practice their career-ready skills. AJ was quick to tell Nancy about her broad range of interests from hardware and networking to coding. According to AJ, “I am that person that wants to take in as much information as possible and then decide what I want to do with it. I told Nancy, I would work for a company in any position as long as they take my progression seriously. I am not sure exactly what I want to do, but I want to advance.”

Nancy remembered those exact comments as a key indicator to the quality of Per Scholas students in general. For her, Per Scholas students demonstrated that they wanted a better job and income; however they were sincerely interested in technology and building their own knowledge. “Per Scholas is about finding the types of participants who truly want a career in the field and we were sold on AJ’s problem solving capability. She is wired for this and we can fill in the other parts.”

Worldpay, like many employers, is challenged to hire, train and retain a workforce that will continue to grow alongside the tech sector. The company has identified Per Scholas as a pipeline that develops local talent with a strong connection to the business community and local workforce. According to Nancy, “We are on a journey, we want to help the community and while in the process, benefit our own workforce and bottom-line.”

AJ is equally excited about this growing partnership. A new Worldpay headquarters is in Atlanta and there will be many more positions opening in the future, especially on the product development team. There will be training opportunities and career tracks to choose from. AJ speaks fondly about her first month at Worldpay. “I think it has become very rare for companies to take their employees seriously. I feel a certain sense of self-worth I didn’t have before. Getting this job, seeing how everyone else works every day, I don’t have those performance fears anymore.”

About Worldpay:

Worldpay is a leading payments company with global reach. We provide an extensive range of technology-led payment products and services to over 400,000 customers, enabling their businesses to grow and prosper. We manage the increasing complexity of the payments landscape for our customers, allowing them to accept the widest range of payment types around the world. Using our network and technology, we are able to process payments from geographies covering 99% of global GDP, across 146 countries and 126 currencies.  We help our customers to accept more than 300 different payment types.

For more information, visit www.worldpay.com

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Stories from our Ambassadors across the country.

Sasha grew up in the Bronx and witnessed a lot of the changes reflected in her community. She received a degree in Network Administration and Security at Laguardia Community College and began working as a sales representative at Micro Center, a computer electronics store with the intention of working her way into the role of a technician. For a year and a half Sasha worked for the company’s sales force thinking that she could transfer the skills she had developed in school and move into help desk services. However, Sasha remarks, “what I learned in college did not translate into the skills I needed for this type of job. I had a lot of skills missing and did not have the hands on experience to make the switch.”

When Sasha heard about Per Scholas she eagerly applied for the program excited to jumpstart her career. Unfortunately, she was in a serious car accident a few weeks after being accepted and was unable to begin the training course. Not only was she unable to begin the training, but she was released from her sales position at Micro Center because she was unable to return to work four months later.

After intensive knee surgery Sasha decided to recommit herself to the goal of receiving an A+ certification and completing the training offered by Per Scholas. She reapplied in December and was immediately admitted to Per Scholas’ TechBridge pilot program. TechBridge, in partnership with The Door is designed to strengthen the skills of young adults between 18 and 25 for their ultimate success when beginning Per Scholas’ IT Support Class. “I like to say that because I was part of Tech Bridge before going into the program, I had a jump start and preparation. I knew what to expect and how to succeed” Sasha completed the TechBridge training in January and started her IT Support Class in February, 2016.

Sasha’s perseverance paid off. Upon her May graduation she immediately received an internship with Manhattan Technical Support, offering IT services to companies in the NYC metro area. Sasha says that the hands on experience was invaluable. “Being able to shadow and work with technicians taught me more than any college class I had taken before.”

Sasha currently works for Goddard Riverside Community Center as an IT analyst. She remarks that it is a small department with just one other manager so she enjoys a lot of responsibility and learning experience. “I always want to help someone in some way. If I can fix someone’s computer that is going to make their day and their job better.”   

Now a confidant IT professional, Sasha thanks the opportunity and guidance from Per Scholas and other partners for offering her an alternative. “It has been a major improvement in my life. It was an amazing opportunity that stood out and I did my best to grab it and I am happy I did. It has made me become a stronger independent woman. I have more confidence now, I like to break stereotypes, I like to be the one that says ‘there can be a woman in IT’. I started from the bottom and I am making my best strides to be an IT manager or a network engineer.”

Read more about Sasha here.

Taj is determined to be successful. However, after attending college for one year he decided to leave because of the increasing financial burden and strain. Through his early twenties, Taj moved between a series of jobs including a position with the finance department in a construction firm and restaurants, but he continued his search for opportunities to advance his education. During this time, especially after long nights in the restaurant, he would arrive home to realize that the hospitality industry could not support his financial goals nor would it fulfill his own ambitions. “Coming back from school put a lot of strain on my finances and my relationship with my parents. I had moved out, and began living on my own and working in restaurants not making much money. Emotionally, it was challenging because I always had high aspirations for myself.

Taj’s parents work for a large church in Cincinnati that had recently hired a local tech company, Thrive, to support their network needs. Thrive is a major partner for Per Scholas in Cincinnati and has hired a number of the graduates. After learning about the relationship, he was intrigued by the possibility to receive free IT skill and Professional Development training that could develop his competence to work for a company like Thrive. “This would put me on a path that college never could. If the point of college is to get a job, then how is this any different, except without financial limitations?”

Incredibly excited for the start of the course, Taj found the tech training challenging, however he says he now understands how much this new career path in tech could offer. Equally important, during the Professional Development portion of the curriculum, Taj found a new ability to reflect on his own life skills and accomplishments. “Self reflection, gathering your skills, realizing what you have learned in a job are things I started to pick up from the career development aspect of Per Scholas. The end result has shocked me.” Taj says he is currently helping both his parents develop their own resume writing capacity and strengths for career growth.

Taj was fortunate to accept a job at Thrive, even before he graduated from Per Scholas. “I have the security of the highest paying job I’ve ever had and in a field that has analyst positions open all the time and the salaries are only going up. I have nothing but hope and excitement about my future. Just three or four months ago I was expecting to be just above minimum wage for the foreseeable future. I work for a company that cares about my success and they pay for my training.” Taj could not be more excited for the future and thanks the training and opportunity that Per Scholas provided.

Before Per Scholas, Angela worked tirelessly at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as an Access Service Representative. Angela found herself working overtime almost every night so she could pay her bills every month. With an annual increase of just 20 cents, Angela was forced to make sacrifices to take care of her family. “My mom is 79, living in Kentucky on a strict income with medicinal needs — I would skip doctor’s appointments so that what I would spend on a co-pay would go towards her groceries and prescriptions,” she says. Never resting on her laurels, Angela sought out new ways to get promoted at her work. She gained her Associate’s degree in Business Administration and took 17 additional classes to prepare herself for any promotion opportunities at her job.

With no promotion in sight, Angela was forced to look elsewhere. After sending over more than 250 unsuccessful applications, Angela was lost. While talking to her sister, who has been in IT for over 30 years, Angela felt inspired. She often assisted the doctors in the office with their tech support needs. In fact, the manager of the IT department at the hospital guaranteed her a position if she ever gained IT certifications. Angela knew that IT would allow her to do more, where she could have a meaningful career. After some research, Angela found that IT courses were expensive and time consuming– there was no way she could afford the costs and miss the opportunity to work. The less expensive online courses lacked the necessary hands on training she needed to grasp the concepts. Angela nearly gave up, until she found Per Scholas.

Angela’s friend had recently left a corporate position making an incredible salary because he wasn’t happy. He heard about Per Scholas on the radio, quit his job and started the program. He enrolled in the Software Testing course, provided in partnership with Thrive Impact Sourcing. It was only 8 weeks and he is now employed as a Software QA Tester. Inspired, Angela decided that she had to take the course. She made the call to City Link and made an appointment to attend a Per Scholas information session. Amidst all of this, Angela had surgery on her spine which put her out of commission for 3 months.

Angela knew this was her only opportunity to change her career so she used her time off wisely. Angela had surgery on July 8th, her Per Scholas interview on the 14th, and started training on the 25th. She spent her recovery months learning how to be an IT professional. At first, it was overwhelming. “I knew I wouldn’t drop out and quit, but I was afraid I wouldn’t make it,” she says. Angela was inspired by her instructor, Jacqueline.  She says “Jacqueline used all sorts of techniques. We were trained on how to do test cases that prepared us for the real world.”

Angela was always early for class and always prepared. Her determination did not go unnoticed; her Mom said, “I don’t know how you’re able to heal from a surgery and go to training at the same time!” The career development portion of the training also surprised Angela. She was amazed to see her resume turn into what she saw as a “fantastic document filled with new skills and abilities.”

Angela graduated Class President from Per Scholas and began work at Thrive Impact Sourcing as a Quality Assurance tester and she could not be happier. Her work matters in real-time and she is now in an environment that cares about her growth. “I’m not dreading going to work everyday. I’m not frazzled, frustrated, or disappointed anymore.” The greatest change for Angela, was in her compensation and ability to provide for her family. With an annual salary difference of ($12K or 30%), Angela is able to do more. She says “When I think about things I actually need, I know I can afford them. I don’t have to wait or juggle bill payments anymore.” She is even able to help her Mom pay for groceries and medications, and her son with college tuition and car payment.

With a new career, Angela has hopes to take her Software Testing skills further by learning to write code and obtaining a Software Engineer position. When asked about her change through Per Scholas, she states plainly: “I was not happy before. I was stagnant and had self-doubts in my abilities. Now, I feel motivated that I can do more. Nothing can stop me.”

Roy considers himself a lifelong learner with a passion for tech. He loved computers growing up and taught himself many of the skills necessary to start an independent tech-on-call business that he operated for several years. However, it was not until he received the training and certification opportunity from Per Scholas that he truly felt the beginnings of his career develop.

Growing up in northern Ohio, Roy moved to Columbus in 2000 to pursue careers that offered financial stability. He was stretched thin, working two part-time jobs in wine and tech sales. In an effort to follow his passion, Roy decided to quit his job as a wine salesman, but was laid off from the tech company just one month later. In a period of financial uncertainty, Roy moved back in with his parents and struggled to find a path forward. For a long period of time Roy felt uncertain and began second guessing some choices that had left him with a lack of self confidence and financial means. He struggled to find opportunity and access to the fulfilling career he desired.

One morning, he opened a Craigslist Ad advertising free IT training and opportunities to pursue an A+ certification. Reflecting back Roy remarks, “I was at a very low point, I quit one job, and I got fired from another. If I wanted things to get better, Per Scholas was my big shot. It was the most affordable option, the most comprehensive option and it was the best opportunity to get the experience and certification I needed to not let those circumstances happen again.”

Roy worked hard to receive his A+ certification but he did not stop there. Motivated by an internal drive to succeed and a love for technology Roy committed to another eight weeks of studying for the Network+ exam. He aced the test, missing only one question, and accepted a job working as a Technician at a Help Desk. However, it quickly became clear that the company needed more than what a troubleshooting professional could offer and took the initiative to establish an entire IT department for the company. This included building out the budget for equipment and personnel to support the growing technology needs.

Roy was busy at work, but true to himself, he continued to strengthen his skills. During his first year of employment Roy studied and passed the Security+ exam adding a third certification to his growing list of certifications. When the company went under, Roy found himself in demand and immediately found a Network Administrator job for the nonprofit, Alvis180. Even better, Alvis180 is a mission driven organization assisting formerly incarcerated individuals reenter the workforce. In many ways, Roy has found two callings.

“Financially, I have never made this much money and I work for a non profit and it is work that I love.” Reflecting on his transformation after Per Scholas, “It has had the most important impact on my life both materially and psychologically. I got fired right before I started at Per Scholas. Now, next week I am taking two weeks of vacation and they are going to bring a contractor in to fill my role. I am in demand. They have to have me there, or someone with my skill set. They can’t get rid of me now.”

Roy has since advanced his career further as an IT Risk Analyst for Per Scholas Signature Partne TekSystems.

Per Scholas ambassadors exemplify what it means to be a Per Scholas alumni. These blogs are a way for the ambassadors to share their story in their own words. 

Per Scholas ambassadors exemplify what it means to be a Per Scholas alumni. These blogs are a way for the ambassadors to share their story in their own words.