Twenty years ago, Vanessa Brown visited her local library and learned of a free computer training program called Per Scholas. After eight years in the military working as an air conditioning and refrigeration technician, Vanessa felt she had no transferable skills that could get her employment. Taking a leap of faith, she applied for the Per Scholas training and was accepted.

Learning to become an IT professional was no easy task for the veteran who was never acclimated with computers. “I had no idea about computers. We had no computers in school and through my military career, we didn’t use computers; it was all paper. What if I can’t do this?”

Vanessa attributes her successful completion of the course to the President and CEO, Plinio Ayala, and the instructors who made it easy for her to learn. Vanessa says, “They didn’t assume that you should know something about computers. They took lessons back to an elementary level to make sure we understood everything.” At the end of the training, Vanessa felt a sense of pride owning a computer that she built herself.

Currently, Vanessa is Solution Center Analyst with Children’s HealthCare: Atlanta. She breezed through her two-week onboarding process within two days, and within six weeks, she trained four other professionals. Vanessa feels that her two decades of IT experience would not be possible if she hadn’t taken a chance with Per Scholas. “Before Per Scholas, I had zero technical skills. I didn’t know what a floppy drive was or anything!”

Renique King is a perfect example of the how Per Scholas’ cybersecurity track in the National Capital Region can help a woman find a path to a new career and a brighter future for her and her son. After joining the Army National Guard where she worked as a radio communications and security repair technician, Renique attended classes at James Madison University and then Northern Virginia Community College to study Public Relations. But then Renique had a son and realized she needed to rethink her career path.

“I considered technology because it’s a field that you can generate the most income,” she said. Soon after this realization, Renique received an email promoting Per Scholas in the National Capital Region as we launched a brand new course in IT Security just for veterans like herself. “I knew I could learn quickly and it was a golden opportunity,” she said. Renique decided to go for it.

Eight weeks later as graduation neared, Renique began looking for her very first IT job. She quickly received a job notification for a position at Capital One and filled out the application. She was called in for an interview and before she knew it, she received an offer letter.

Renique feels like her life has fallen into place. Looking back, she says that everything happens for a reason. Looking forward, she sees a bright future for her and her son. She shared, “Every student that graduates from Per Scholas will start the beginning of their own success story. I want them to know that this opportunity is worth every minute. It will be the best decision that they could make for their lives.”

Renique recently published a post on Medium about her journey: From Army Brigade to Cyber Brigade: My Uncommon Path to a Career in Cybercrime-Fighting.

“I was doing manual labor where people who had been there for decades were waiting for the same promotion I was. I didn’t want to spend 10+ years doing manual labor to HOPEFULLY get a promotion.”

Forney, Texas native Kevin McCoy knew that manual labor wouldn’t give him the career he desired. Conditions were awful and the physical toll on his body was detrimental. Stuck in a place where progression was based on who you knew rather than your skills and performance, he decided to look for work in a field he was always interested in; IT. While searching for various IT positions, Kevin realized there was always one common requirement: certifications. Kevin began self learning IT to hopefully earn his A+ certification and start a new career.

Leaving his job to pursue studying further, Kevin found that while he could read the material, he lacked the structure and tools to truly understand what it meant to be an IT professional. He came across an ad for Per Scholas and couldn’t believe his eyes. “I was skeptical. I looked all over the page for the fine print, but there was none!” He heard about former graduates and it was in that moment he knew that this was the place for him.

After applying for and beginning training, Kevin was apprehensive. Four years of manual labor had left him unsure of his abilities and he felt he wouldn’t cut it in IT. He chalks up his ability to complete the training to the instructors and staff who were both helpful and supportive, especially his career coach, Dr. Jessica White. “I struggled with career development, the nuances of resume and interviewing was foreign to me. She was always there to answer my questions, willing to help me with everything that I needed.” Kevin took to the training well and settled in. The best part of his experience, outside of becoming great friends with his classmates, was the confidence he gained. “I proved to myself I could do this and gained the confidence needed to get a career that I can grow in.” he says.

When asked about what he would say to his younger self, he replied “Just go for it. Don’t try to talk yourself out of it or feel that you can’t do it. You can do it. You’ll come out better than when you came in.”

Kevin has recently completed a large project for Dallas County where he assisted with setting up all the equipment and troubleshooting hardware and network connectivity issues. Kevin’s IT career is only beginning and he plans on pursuing a career in Cybersecurity.

23 year old Renique King is a soldier, a mother, a Per Scholas graduate, and now officially an IT professional, landing her very first job in IT as a Business Transformation and Integration Associate at our signature partner Capital One’s global headquarters in McLean, VA.

Before graduating from Per Scholas National Capital Region’s inaugural IT Security course in March of 2016, Renique wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. Like many young adults, Renique had dreams of going to college, but didn’t have the means to pay expensive tuition fees out of pocket. Resourcefully, Renique joined the Army National Guard in 2013, where her work as a Radio & Communications Repairer helped her pay for college at James Madison University and then Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

After a few years of working for the Army one weekend a month, studying Public Relations in college full time, and waitressing on the side to make ends meet, Renique was burnt out. She describes that time as a stressful one. “I was overwhelmed. I wasn’t performing at a level I wanted to because I had too many commitments,” she says.

Also at this time, Renique got pregnant and had her son, Naolin. “With a son, I knew that a career in PR would take some time for me to make enough money to take care of a dependent.” She needed to find a new career path for herself. “My son is my first priority. I want to set him up for success in life.”

So Renique went back to the drawing board. “I considered technology because it’s a field that you can generate the most income,” she said. Serendipitously, soon after this realization, Renique received an email promoting a free technology school in the NCR region named Per Scholas. To top it all off, the organization was launching a brand new course in IT Security just for veterans like herself. The course was launched in March of 2016 in partnership with our signature partner Symantec and provides CompTIA Network+ and Security+ to help military veterans launch IT careers in cyber security. “I knew I could learn quickly and it was a golden opportunity,” she said. Renique decided to go for it.

With a 6-month old son at home, attending the full time, 10-week course was challenging. Renique says that support from the entire team at Per Scholas was integral to her success. “Seeing the dedication of the staff to the mission of Per Scholas was life-changing,” she shared.

Renique recalls when she failed the Network+ the first time, something not uncommon of the difficult test, the Per Scholas team was there to help her pass the second time. “During my studies, I embraced the culture, the staff, my instructor, my classmates, and each day of lessons. Every day I learned something new about IT and myself,” she says.

As graduation from the course neared, Renique began looking for her very first IT job with the help of Director of Business Solutions, Peyton Brooks. She received a job request for a position at Capital One and filled out the application, although she thought getting the job was a long shot. The next day, she was called in for an interview. And, before she knew it, nearly two weeks later, she received an offer letter. She had landed the job.

“I knew that Per Scholas would help me get a job. But, sitting here now I didn’t know that I would be working at Capital One 10 weeks later,” she says. “My situation has changed from being a waitress to being an Associate at Capital One.”

Renique feels like her life has fallen into place. Looking back, she says that everything happens for a reason. Looking forward, she sees a bright future for her and her son. She shared, “Every student that graduates from Per Scholas will start the beginning of their own success story. I want them to know that this opportunity is worth every minute. It will be the best decision that they could make for their lives.”

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.”

“Within 4 years of me starting this IT field, I went from fixing computers to managing networks. That was without an advance degree”

20 years ago, Vanessa Brown visited her local library and learned of a free computer training program called Per Scholas. After eight years in the military working as an air conditioning and refrigeration technician, Vanessa felt she had no transferable skills that could get her employment. Taking a leap of faith, she applied for the training and was accepted.

Learning to become an IT professional was no easy task for the veteran who was never acclimated with computers. “I had no idea about computers. We had no computers in school and through my military career, we didn’t use computers; it was all paper. What if I can’t do this?”

Vanessa attributes her successful completion of the course to the President and CEO, Plinio Ayala, and the instructors who made it easy for her to learn. Vanessa says “They didn’t assume that you should know something about computers. They took lessons  back to an elementary level to make sure we understood everything.” At the end of the training, Vanessa felt a sense of pride owning a computer that she built herself.

A few weeks before graduation, Vanessa was hired by IBM, sparking an illustrious career in IT. At first, she felt intimidated. Never having worked in IT before, Vanessa started to feel the pressure, wondering if the company would expect her to know as much as the senior staff. She pushed through and her tenacity paid off. She secured a highly sought-after position on a project IBM had with NASA’s help desk.

“That’s when I felt like ‘I made it. I made it in IT,” she told us.

A year after working for IBM,  Vanessa moved to VA In 1999  to work for United States Automobile Association on a Y2K conversion program. During this experience she learned even more IT vernacular, wrote programs and even configured software. At the time, everyone was very concerned about the potential Y2K fallout. Her response was, “this was nothing compared to being overseas.” It when then that Vanessa started to truly understand how many opportunities she had in the IT industry.

With years of experience under her belt, Vanessa began working as a contractor for a computer repair company. One day while on a job for the Nofolk Pubic School system in Virginia, Vanessa was offered an opportunity to become the system’s network engineer where she would manage the network of 4 different schools. “I went from a Help Desk Technician, to a Y2K converter to a Network Engineer!” she said. Vanessa earned her Associates Degree in IT while working for NPS. “Within 4 years of me starting this IT field, I went from fixing computers to managing networks. That was without an advance degree. My certifications helped get me here, but I want to keep advancing.”

After four years, Vanessa moved to Georgia to be closer to family. In 2007, Atkins North America recruited Vanessa and she became their Help Desk Lead and created the company’s technical manual. During her eight-year tenure, Vanessa earned her Microsoft Certified Professional license, further bolstering her capabilities. “The more you work in IT, the more you realize how important your job is, so I made sure to consider everyone a priority” she said.

Currently, Vanessa is Solution Center Analyst with Children’s HealthCare: Atlanta. She breezed through her two-week onboarding process within two days, and within 6 weeks, she  has already trained four other professionals. Vanessa feels that her two decades of IT experience would not be possible if she hadn’t taken a chance with Per Scholas. “Before Per Scholas, I had zero technical skills. I didn’t know what a floppy drive was or anything!”

Read more about Vanessa here.

“If you’re trying to make a change, Per Scholas is providing you an opportunity to learn. Doesn’t matter where you’re coming from. Look at me! I came from California to Dallas to attend this program”

It’s not often you find someone willing to travel over 1,300 miles to attend a technology training program, but that’s just what Jusharra did. Jusharra never finished college and had no formal training and companies wouldn’t give her a chance;but Jusharra was lover of technology, and never gave up. After working with Google Express, she knew that there was more for her to experience; to accomplish. “I didn’t feel confident enough. I was always questioning if I could cut it in IT.”

After hearing about Per Scholas from a friend, Jusharra asked herself,  “What are you going to do? You’re at this point in your life and this is that opportunity you were looking for.” She decided to leave California and make the trip to Dallas to attend Per Scholas.

Jusharra was awed by the level of camaraderie her and her classmates felt for one another. Students who grasped concepts quicker than others made sure everyone else caught up. Jusharra even started a tech group so everyone could ask questions and share news about technology. “Nobody was opposed to each other; instead it was fun. We were all pretty confident”

“I never really built computers before. I have been curious enough to open up a PC but I never knew what the components or their functions were.” Jusharra took to the training very quickly, often spending hours before and after class working on the equipment to ensure her success. She passed her certification exams with ease, feeling more confident than she ever had before. Within 2 weeks of graduating, Jusharra has been hired as a technician for a Qualcomm partner. She says the team has been impressed with her performance, and that she adds incredible value to the team. “Per Scholas has definitely helped mold me into becoming the technician I aim to be in the next few years” she shares. Jusharra is continuing her pursuit of more certifications and plans on becoming a Network Analyst working with databases and handling huge IT projects.

“You can do an online course, but they pale in comparison to the hands on training Per Scholas gives you. It gave me the confidence to say “I know my stuff”

“When looking for things that would make me happy, I looked at my passion and the career prospects and they all led to IT.”

When computers became accessible in Osasere’s home country, Nigeria, he would spend hours upon hours learning about the components and software of his desktop. His passion for IT continued to grow as he learned of the vast opportunities available in the field. However, he only had a Bs in physics and lacked any formal IT training and therefore could not find any IT job upon relocating to the United States.

Before Per Scholas, Osasere would move from one job to another, working long hours seven days a week– never finding satisfaction and ultimately feeling lost.  

However, Osasere knew that needed to change. One day while looking for a new job, he stumbled upon an ad for Per Scholas Dallas. After reading about the free IT program, Osasere thought, “This is too good to be true.” Osasere tried other, for profit tech schools that would require 2 years of education; something he knew he had no time for. “How could a free program do this in less time?” He wondered.

Osasere was excited to find that Per Scholas was real and it was an opportunity he did not want to miss. His excitement and nervousness got the best of him, however, he was shy of successfully completing the english portion of the exam. But that didn’t stop Osasere. “My zeal increased! I was nervous, but I did not want to miss out on this opportunity” he says. Osasere studied hard and on his second go, passed the entrance exam. After a series of interviews, he was admitted into Per Scholas. “To me that was a defining moment. Something I really wanted to do, just became accessible to me.”

“It was everything I expected. I saw the people involved, I saw their commitment, their passion! It wasn’t just an IT program for people to get certified, it was a genuine passion to help people succeed and get better,” Osasere claims. Osasere felt that the career development portion was especially helpful, helping each of the students plot out their career path and where they wanted to go. The technical instructor managed to break everything down so the whole class could understand; providing them the confidence they needed to say “we can do this.”

Osasere feels confident in his career path now. “My confusion before this program was where do I go, how do I get into this field? I know vividly now, where I want to go” Midway through the training, Osasere was offered positions as a Technical Analyst and a Media Technician. When asked about his career prospects, he told us “I’m going to be happy with my next job. I’m going to be able to take care of my family.”

After 13 years at home with her children, Sandra Larson was amidst a divorce. Prior to staying at home with her children, Sandra worked as a dental assistant, but re-entering the dental field was impossible with the pricey certification courses needed. Without any job and living on temporary support, Sandra was without a way to provide for  herself or her children going forward on her own.

“I found myself in the middle of a divorce with no job skills. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Trying to get back on her feet, Sandra sent out dozens of job applications for any job she thought she may qualify.  She only received two responses. She took a job as a part time receptionist.  “I needed to start working fast,” she says. “I needed to be on my own and self-sufficient.”

After about a year, Sandra once again got some bad news: she was being laid off. Her job had been replaced by an automated system. It was this experience that made Sandra start re-thinking her career. “I was replaced by technology [as a receptionist]. It made me realize that no matter what business you’re in, everyone needs technology. I realized how relevant technology is,” she says.

Shortly after she was laid off, Sandra was at a local restaurant playing pool with friends. She struck up a conversation with fellow pool player, Bronson Woodroffe. A graduate himself, Bronson told Sandra of a local free technology school called Per Scholas. “It was fate,” she describes. She called Per Scholas the next day to enroll. She knew that the technology field could provide her and her family the life they wanted.

As a Per Scholas student, Sandra thrived. She loved her tech instructor, James Maio, whom she says made class fun and enjoyable. Sandra also took a lot away from the Career Development training, which teaches important communication skills. She says that she dreaded the 60-second pitch, a portion of the course that prepares for interviews by developing a student’s elevator pitch. The scary part? All students must present their pitch in front of the class. But, by the end though, she was a 60-second pitch pro. She says, “Before the class, I was very shy speaking in a group setting. I had never taken a class like that before. It was very helpful.”

Most of all, Sandra learned that reinvention is possible at any stage in life. “My instructors both gave me skills that would help me move forward. I learned that there are so many opportunities out there.”

After graduation, Sandra interviewed with the Columbus Medical Association. It was the first company she interviewed with and she got the job. Her manager shared with her that they hired her even though they had more qualified candidates because they valued her professionalism and positive attitude, and felt she would be a good fit for their company. “Career Development training made all the difference for me,” she says.

Sandra loves her new job as an Information Systems Associate. The job provides a helpful learning environment and the chance to work closely with her superiors.

And, also as rewarding, this job represents stability. “I came in at an entry-level IT job and am making significantly more than I was as a receptionist,” she says. “I make enough now to pay my bills.”

Her kids have noticed a big change in her too. “They used to tease me because I couldn’t use an iPhone. Now they are asking me for help with their electronics.” Sandra is proud that she is now able to independently provide for her two teenagers. “I don’t want them to worry about having a roof over their head. I want them to have a normal life. I can now provide them what they need.”

Sandra visits the Per Scholas Columbus office often, maintaining strong connection to her instructors and the staff. It’s in these interactions that Sandra’s transformation has come full circle. When visiting, Sandra speaks to current students and encourages them to work hard and the opportunity Per Scholas is providing them will pay off. She says proudly, “I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot over the past year.”

In the year 2012, Qahir Zaeem, 22 at the time, had recently moved to the United States from Pakistan. He barely spoke English and he felt lost in a new country. Flash forward to now, Qahir was voted valedictorian of his Per Scholas class and delivered the Valedictorian address to a room full of peers, colleagues, teachers, friends and family. His transformation began at our doors.

He arrived to the United States with optimism. He held a degree in Engineering from his home country and felt confident it would not be difficult to get a job in America. After months of sending out hundreds of resumes, his search for a job in technology was fruitless. He settled for a job that would pay the bills but he wasn’t utilizing his education. 

He started looking into technology schools in the New York area to find that many for-profit schools didn’t provide the professional development training he knew he would need to succeed. Then he came across Per Scholas. Enticed by the opportunity to take free classes, Qahir didn’t apply immediately, skeptical that the “free” advertising had a catch. 

One day not long after this encounter, Qahir was reading The New York Times and saw an article featuring a Per Scholas graduate. Realizing the program’s success and legitimacy, Qahir took the time to apply and learn more.

To gain admittance into a Per Scholas course, every applicant must take a basic adult educational assessment (TABE). Despite English being his second language, Qahir failed the English portion of the test by only one mark. Forlorn and discouraged because of his close failure to get into Per Scholas, Qahir resumed his day job. 

A second chance came. He received a phone call from Rosa Matos of Per Scholas. Rosa described to him an alternative route into the IT Support class:  TechBridge, a five-week bridge program for young adults who are well suited for the Per Scholas training and qualify for math and English tutoring. The program catches participants up in the basic educational content while also priming them for success in Per Scholas’ intensive IT Support course. On round two, Qahir successfully passed the exam. 

The next hurdle was to pass the very intensive course—and not miss the train. “Per Scholas’ IT support course was like a full-time job and the commute was no laughing matter. I traveled from the far reaches of Queens to the South Bronx,” Qahir said of his three hour train ride. There is a zero-tolerance attendance policy the first two weeks of the course with no exceptions if students show up to the start of class even one minute late. Qahir made it.

From his overall experience, Qahir notes benefitting most from the course was the career development provided, the part of the course that teaches essential workplace skills like communication, interviewing, and workplace etiquette. “I simply was shy. But through the outstanding career development sessions, I learned more than just how to fix up my resume. They helped me gain confidence in my ability to communicate my thoughts effectively to any crowd I faced,” Qahir shares.

That confidence allowed Qahir to deliver a heartwarming and powerful valedictorian speech. “Before I was shaking. Now I am confident. I have built relationships and skills that will ultimately be beneficial and valuable for the longevity of my career. It was worth the three hour train ride.”

Qahir interviewed with 10 companies three weeks after graduating and accepted a position with Optimum as a Technical Support Representative. 

“There is no replacement for hard work. If you are a hard worker, it doesn’t matter what color or what background you have. If you are determined or you are a hard worker, you can do anything.”

To learn more about Qahir, click here.