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 Her job had been replaced by an automated system.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.

Reinvention is nothing new for former U.S. Army sergeant and father of four Curtis Ashby. Throughout his life, Curtis worked in multiple fields including in the military, sales, food service, elevator installation, roofing and more. But when he fell ill in his late 40s and couldn’t work, he knew he had to adapt to survive once again.

It all started one evening while Curtis was at the gym. During his workout he felt extremely short of breath. When his condition didn’t improve the next morning, his wife took him straight to the emergency room. The diagnosis was crushing: he had congestive heart failure, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

An optimist and a hard worker, Curtis hit the gym even harder after his diagnosis to get healthy; he ate better, took his medications and exercised regularly. His health improved greatly. “I recovered where most people don’t recover at all,” he shared. He was even featured in University of Cincinnati Medical Center’s newsletter for his extraordinary recovery.

Even with his improved state, his heart condition prevented Curtis from returning back to his job as a manager of a furniture store because the job required some heavy lifting. “This condition limited my mobility,” he explains. “But not having any income was not an option.”

Curtis had to find a new career plan at age 50. He visited Cincinnati Works, a local nonprofit that connects people in poverty to employment services. He took a job assessment test, and to his surprise was an 80% match for a career in technology.

Cincinnati Works, co-located with Per Scholas at the CityLink Center in downtown Cincinnati, made the connection and brought Curtis through our doors. Although passing the adult education entrance exam (TABE) was challenging for Curtis, who hadn’t been in school in over 30 years, he studied hard and passed. In August of 2015, he was accepted at Per Scholas. He says, “I was so excited about joining Per Scholas. I was using this experience to reinvent myself.”
The rigorous IT Support course was rejuvenating for Curtis. His experience in the military and other jobs primed him to work well with his classmates and instructors. At the end of the 8-week course,  all 24 students graduated—and Curtis was voted class president. “In the team setting, I didn’t want to see anyone fall behind. We are all teammates. We pulled each other along.”

Just one month after graduating from Per Scholas and getting his A+ certification, Curtis now works as an IT contractor for Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain. Curtis is enjoying his first job in tech. He works on gathering information from customers and storing it in a database to improve the store’s online shopping platform. Curtis hopes to move his way up Kroger, which offers many opportunities. “I love technology. It’s always changing. There’s always something to learn,” he says. His ultimate goal is to be a Systems Administrator one day.

Curtis worked hard to rebuild his life but he is quick to  give praise to his family, especially his wife, as the key to his success. “I give my wife all the credit. She stood by me. She held the family down while I was attending class. She encouraged me to get up and do it.”

“If I didn’t find Per Scholas, I would probably be waiting on social security. Per Scholas helped me regain my independence.”

In the future, Curtis wants to help others find Per Scholas and experience the opportunity he had. He frequently connects with other Per Scholas graduates all over the country via LinkedIn and other social media, and volunteers his time to the local Per Scholas staff to help out with admissions.

“Per Scholas is a life-changing opportunity. You can go from a job at the local gas station or grocery store to a job that will help you change the life of your family.”

The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas produced a spotlight video featuring Per Scholas and graduate Alex Hernandez, the first graduate in Dallas to land a job following the IT job training. Today he works at Turner Construction providing IT support. Watch and share. 

Alex is a graduate from the very first Per Scholas Dallas IT Support class. As we approach our one-year anniversary in Dallas and the enrollment of our 100th student, we felt it time to share the story of the first graduate to land a job from our Dallas home.

Today Alex works in the IT department at Turner Construction. This is the first time he has ever had a desk job, a job much different from his professional past.  For Turner Construction, he has the luxury of  working a normal schedule every day, and his work doesn’t consist of manual labor like loading boxes and stocking shelves. His work is intellectually stimulating, stable and financially rewarding.

The week he graduated from Per Scholas he was working and earning three times more than what he made in his previous job.

He still can’t believe it.

“To say life has improved is an understatement.”

Alex expressed that, for him, Per Scholas is the most effective educational experience he has ever had. Growing up he loved technology. The passion came naturally to him, like it does for many of our students. He knew early on he wanted to pursue it professionally. The college classes he took, unfortunately, didn’t keep him on that path.

“It was discouraging. My teacher would fall asleep in class at times. Our exams and homework would consist of taking down answers directly from the book. I didn’t learn anything… and I definitely couldn’t afford to spend my money in this way.”

So, he stopped after a couple of classes feeling a weight of disappointment and started working instead. Getting his foot in the door in a tech-related job was only his hope and not his reality. What Alex found were hourly, low-wage, manual labor jobs working in retail and service. That was what he did for the entirety of his 20’s, never making it back to finish college.

Last spring in 2015 he learned about Per Scholas. His sister forwarded him an email she got through her job and his reaction was shock and wonder, why on earth had he never heard of this before?

That question was soon answered when he was enrolled to the first-ever Per Scholas class in Dallas. It exceeded his expectations.

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I looked forward to being in a classroom.” The intensive, hands-on course is rigorous but Alex gobbled up the material. He quickly earned his CompTIA A+ certification and learned everything he needed to know about fixing, supporting and maintaining computers—and plenty more on top of that. Specifically, the career coaching that accompanies the technical learning Alex received. In addition to four days of tech class each week, he also had one dedicated day to prepare him for the job search. He developed a tailored resume and went through all the motions to prepare for an interview—as well as learning the essential skills needed to keep the job once he got it.

“Learning how to market myself and sell myself to an employer, no one had ever taught me that before.”

That training Alex knows helped because he had four employers requesting he interview before he even graduated. “This had never happened in my life. I couldn’t believe it.”

Alex landed a job and was working the week he graduated. In less than eight weeks Alex went from earning less than $10 an hour and under-utilizing his skills and potential to working for a corporate company with a substantial increase in earnings.

“Life is good. I’m now able to help my mom returning the favor for all she did to help me when I needed it. I’m paying the bills, saving money. It’s a night and day difference.”

Alex considers it an honor to be part of the first class. “I’m proud to be a graduate of Per Scholas and excited to make Per Scholas a household name in Dallas. They are going to make our community, its businesses and those who live in it, a lot better.”

See more about Alex here. 

For Kelly Lee, a career in technology was something she had never considered. She felt her days in a call center providing customer service was a world away from what it took to be a tech pro. But she has since dispelled that myth.

Before Per Scholas, Kelly worked at a call center as a training supervisor. The work was difficult because she was primarily responsible for de-escalating phone calls from disgruntled customers. She explains, “When people yell at you for eight hours a day, it starts to become taxing. It’s not that I’m so sensitive that I can’t deal with people, but after years being on the receiving end with no break, it became hard.”

Even though her job was paying the bills, Kelly felt she wasn’t fostering the skills needed to build a lifelong career. “I grew a lot, but as far as a skill set, it all depends on how you look on a resume. I wanted functional work skills that would help me to develop a better career path.”

Kelly decided to take a step back from her job and try her hand at freelance writing. She wrote a blog and honed her communications skills, but it didn’t lead to much more. Kelly realized that she needed help to reinvigorate her career.

A friend and fellow Per Scholas graduate recommended that she look into the Per Scholas IT Support course as a complement to Kelly’s past experience.

Kelly immediately saw the potential. “It was a wake-up call,” she says. “The tech world is huge. Having tech skills is very specific and useful in today’s job market.”

After applying to the program and gaining admission, Kelly did research on technology basics so she could feel prepared to dive into the full-time rigorous course.

“Every day I realized that there were so many new topics to cover. It was very exciting.”

While exciting, the course was also very challenging — and not just academically. To make ends meet while she attended classes, Kelly and her 9-year-old son moved in with her mother and lived off her small savings. She says, “The experience definitely made my top 10 list of most intense things I’ve gone through.”

On top of familial support, Kelly had encouragement from the Per Scholas staff and her classmates. She describes her fellow Per Scholas students as her new “brothers and sisters,” their relationships built on camaraderie and respect.

After eight weeks, Kelly graduated with her CompTIA A+ credential and jumped right into job searching. She worked with Per Scholas employer partner Koncert IT after being introduced to them during the Career Development training at Per Scholas. She landed an IT job on contract with Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, headquartered in Cincinnati and so far, so good. Kelly loves Kroger as a company and feels at home with the company’s values.

Her personal life has seen positive changes as well. “I was in a motivational rut. Per Scholas awakened me,” she shares. “You really have to work hard and stay motivated to succeed in Per Scholas, as well as in life.”

Kelly says that her new career path allows her to set a great example for her son. “For him to see me get a new job and get up and go to work every day, he’s old enough to recognize that it affects his life in a positive way. He’s excited for me and knows this will build his quality of life in the future.”

Kelly’s career is promising. She can now see herself going back to school to further her skills and pursue other areas in tech, such as network administration or software testing.

“Even if it’s hard, I want to try it. I want to do it all.”

Network Engineer graduate Christine Moore was featured in The New York Times on December 30, 2015.

The article describes Christine’s journey through a promising career to a time of crushing unemployment. She found Per Scholas and now works as an engineer for a bank in Manhattan. Read the full article here.

Babatunde “Bab” Adetiba, Dallas-born first generation American, came to Per Scholas at a time when he felt the pressure of a glass ceiling closing in on his potential. 

At age 22, Bab served our country through the Marine Corps for two years as a Flight Equipment Technician where he worked the parts and equipment that make up a military plane. This experience, he says, primed him for his future, even though at the time he didn’t realize the importance of his experience. “I learned a lot about pilots and the technology that goes behind a plane. It’s a lot of technology that we don’t even realize is in existence.”

In addition to his military service, Bab had over 60 college credits under his belt and real world experience working for Microsoft. 

Despite all his experience, Bab was unsure of where to go or what to do with his skills. Without knowing exactly what to study, more school didn’t seem like the right decision. Bab couldn’t imagine taking on more debt to learn unnecessary information that he might not use in his career. “I didn’t want to incur more loans. It’s insane how much school costs these days,” he says. “Not everyone is wired for college.” 

At age 24, he was at a crossroads. Because of his prior experience, Bab started looking into information technology jobs in Dallas. But, he soon realized, getting into the tech field is not as easy as it seems — even with prior experience. Many jobs require certifications, particularly CompTIA A+. “There was a glass ceiling,” he says. “I knew the potential in the A+ certification. But I realized the time commitment for getting it and the cost associated.” He felt discouraged. Should he pay for unaffordable certification courses or try a start from scratch in a different field?

One day while on Facebook, Bab saw a friend’s post about nonprofit tech school Per Scholas which just opened up a location in Dallas. He called and spoke to Managing Director Billy Lane who told him that yes, Per Scholas offered A+ certification for free, no strings attached. Bab was sold. The next day, a Friday, he attended orientation and was in class the following Monday.

“Me finding Per Scholas was the right thing at the right time. I made the leap to dedicate my time to learning,” he recalls.

Bab excelled in the full time 8-week training at Per Scholas. Using his skills from the military, he was on time, disciplined with his assignments, and worked well with his classmates. He even lead study groups with his classmates after class. “I learned that teaching people is also a learning experience. It was a great class with good cohesion.”

On top of gaining the knowledge to become A+ certified, Bab soaked up all he could in Career Development, the portion of the course that teaches essential workplace skills. Particularly, he says, he enjoyed learning about resume building and professional dress.

During training Bab lived with his parents and worked nights and weekends at his family’s moving business to make ends meet. “It was definitely a struggle. But nothing worth having is easy,” Bab says.

And, it was all worth it. One week after graduation from Per Scholas, Bab landed a position in the IT industry. He now works as a Deployment Technician at Premier LogiTech. He connects well with his team and notes that the CEO of the company, Darryl Smith, is a marine veteran himself.

Most of all, Bab says he enjoys one thing: freedom. He explains that a career in tech not only provides monetary freedom, but the autonomy to learn and grow in an expanding field. In the future, he hopes to give other young people like himself the opportunity to get into IT.

“I love the Per Scholas model. It has changed my life.”

For past generations of Americans, the path to a viable career was clear-cut; the equation was simple: college = a good paying job. In today’s world, the straight and narrow path doesn’t exist anymore. Per Scholas graduate Tyrell Robinson has a journey that shows that even the most traditional routes to success don’t pay off like they used to. Success for Tyrell came from thinking outside of the box.

Tyrell grew up in upstate New York and had dreams to go to college to pursue a degree that would help him obtain a career in the tech world. Tyrell says he always loved tech and pursuing a career was natural for him. “I first became interested in tech when saw the movie Hackers. I’ve always been a fan of electronic devices and I love to tinker; so it was only a matter of time before I got into the tech field,” he says.

That came to fruition when he enrolled in Utica College upon graduating high school. After four years of study, he graduated Utica with a degree in Computer Science. He felt like he had made it; he was ready to jump right into the tech field, and shortly after graduating, he moved to New York City to find a job.

At first, Tyrell took IT contract positions to make ends meet. The jobs only lasted short-term and he was constantly worried about his stability. After three different contract positions, Tyrell still couldn’t find a permanent position. He was frustrated; money was tight.

“I have a degree,” he says. “I did everything right. Why can’t I find a job?”

Finally, Tyrell secured a permanent position at G2 Investment Group, a financial services firm, as Technical Admin Support. He worked there for a year and a half steadily. He felt he was finally doing what he always wanted to do.

Then he was laid off.

Times got tough after that. His job searches were fruitless and to top it off, he had bills to pay including expensive student loans from his undergraduate degree.

“The biggest struggle I had to overcome was accepting that having a college degree would not guarantee me full time employment,” Tyrell says.

During his time of unemployment, a friend recommended that he take a look at Per Scholas, a nonprofit tech school in the Bronx. He found out that because of his background, he could enroll in the Network Engineer course which provides CompTIA’s Network+ and Cisco CCNA certification through Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC).

He went for it. And, he says, it was the hardest 18 weeks of his life.

While studying full time for the rigorous 4 and a half month course, Tyrell’s unemployment ran out. This left him without any money to pay rent, his loans, or any other bills, and without any time to get a part time job. He was almost evicted and could barely pay for transportation to and from class.

“It was hard,” he says. “I am educated and qualified. I don’t want to be couch surfing.”

Despite the stress going on in his personal life, Tyrell pushed on. He got a lot of support from his Career Coach, Steve Nunez. “I was having some extreme hardships outside of the course and was ready to quit. Steve motivated me to keep pushing and keep my eye on the prize. He reminded me of where I came from prior to Per Scholas and where I said I wanted to be after.”

Tyrell also got some help from Per Scholas, free Metrocards to get to and from class.

After 18 weeks of hell, Tyrell made it. He graduated from the grueling Network Engineer course with his Net+ and CCNA certifications and hit the pavement looking for work.

A few months passed and Tyrell got a call from Steve who recommended him for a job at Bloomberg. “I was like, ‘Wow, Bloomberg?’ I wanted this job so badly. Bloomberg is one of the best in the business.”

He was super nervous for the interview. He not only wanted the job, but needed it. He stayed calm by remembering everything he learned in the Career Development portion of the Per Scholas course: how to present yourself, communicate, and interview professionally.

“If I hadn’t found Per Scholas I wouldn’t have the confidence and ability to articulate my IT skill set and educational background,” he says.

After an intense interview, he eagerly followed up a few days later. He was informed that he had in fact gotten the job.

“I was so excited and happy to be working at the Bloomberg. It was a dream come true,” Tyrell says.

Now he’s been at Bloomberg as an Information Systems Tech for about a year. And, so far so good. He loves the work culture and the opportunity that the company provides for a viable, long-term career.

“Everyone at Bloomberg is so open minded and friendly. I love my job,” he says. “My story is a true testament of how Per Scholas is changing lives.”

“I can breathe easier now knowing that I have benefits, I have a 401K, I have a salary. I can’t believe it. I get holidays off and it’s paid for. Per Scholas has opened me up to a world of possibilities.”

Meet Aaron Mingo. A local of Cincinnati, Aaron attended Ohio State University after high school. After two years, however, he couldn’t afford tuition so he had to withdraw. Soon after, Aaron took a job at a local restaurant.

Flash forward 11 years: Aaron was still working in the service industry. The job was difficult; he worked nights and weekends, and didn’t get compensated for holidays or sick time. Because of the long hours, Aaron’s personal life was struggling. He barely got to spend time with his new wife and three children; his physical health had taken a toll after a decade of lugging trays and boxes 40 hours a week. “My life was at the mercy of the restaurant,” says Aaron.

As well, his hope for a better life for his family was dwindling. In the service industry, Aaron explains, it is hard to move up the ladder. “I was at the restaurant for a decade and I was still in the same position. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t get ahead. I gave 100% every night and some nights only made $20.”

Aaron was frustrated that all his hard work should yield something more for himself and his family. “After so many years of working, I decided that every day needed to be something I enjoyed. I was not in control of my financial well-being. I needed to make a change,” he says.

Then something fateful happened. Wayne Ivy, Per Scholas Cincinnati Associate Director of Career Development, came into Aaron’s restaurant. He was dining with a friend of Aaron’s, and the three gentlemen started talking. Wayne mentioned his job with local nonprofit tech school Per Scholas. Aaron’s interest was piqued, but he didn’t think much more of it.

Aaron shares that he always had a knack for technology. In high school, he was part of a team that built one of the the first Cincinnati Bell websites in 1999. “Tech was always something that interested me. But I thought that there was only one route into the industry, and that was college,” he says.

A few weeks after his interaction with Wayne, Aaron found an ad for Per Scholas on a local job board. It was a eureka! moment for him. He applied for the training immediately and was accepted.

While excited for this fresh start, the eight weeks of immersive training was no walk in the park for Aaron. Because he had to financially support his growing family, he kept his job at the restaurant while attending Per Scholas, which means he was working 40 hours AND taking Per Scholas’ free, full time IT support course. He would attend class from 9am – 5pm then drive to work from 6pm – 10pm, and work full time on the weekends. To get in all the study time he possibly could, Aaron would listen to tapes in his car of IT guru Professor Messer while on the way to and from work and would study at night after his kids went to bed.

“Although it was hard, I was always motivated that there is something else better here.” In particular, Aaron soaked in the Career Development portion of the course, which teaches eight hours a week of essential workplace skills like communication, professionalism, office culture, and team building. “Even though I had a lot of experience in the restaurant dealing with people, I didn’t have the professional business communication skills needed to succeed in an office,” says Aaron.

The day of his graduation, Aaron was proud. He had made it through the eight grueling weeks and achieved his A+ certification. He says, though, no one was more proud than his wife. In the parking lot of graduation, she looked at him and said, “Does this mean that you’ll be home with us at night now?”

And, so it was. After graduating from Per Scholas, Aaron now enjoys a normal 9-5 schedule with no weekend hours and paid holidays. He worked for Per Scholas Partner Time Warner Cable for a time. Now he works as a IT Support Analyst in the same hospital in which his wife is a technician.

“I have a sense of pride about being an ‘IT guy,’” he says. “I stand a little taller when I tell people what I do. It shows that this person is intelligent, professional, and driven. This job has done wonders for my self-esteem.”

Today, Aaron is focused on his family and his future. He’s content being the family tech support. In five years, he hopes to get his Net+ and Security+ certification with the ultimate goal of following the Cisco security track. He shares, “Through Per Scholas, I had the chance to be the true master of my destiny. I am so thankful.”

To read more about Aaron speaking at our Toss for Techs event, click here.