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.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Marty Rodgers of Accenture quoting Margaret Mead in his keynote address at the inaugural Beta Bash 1.0.

October 7, Per Scholas welcomed more than 100 guests — including alumni, partners, employers, and our biggest fans — to the Fillmore in downtown Silver Spring for the first ever Beta Bash 1.0.

Amid the networking and celebration, guests got a hands-on experience of the Per Scholas training by taking the Tech Challenge, a series of challenges developed from the Per Scholas curriculum and administered by the students walking guests through each challenge: Defeat the Board (how to reset a password account), Perfect Your Pitch (deliver your personal job interview pitch) and Connect the World (how to setup a network). Completing the challenge successfully was marked with a formal graduation token, a Per Scholas lapel pin which each student receives upon graduating from the Per Scholas training.

The live program was opened by graduate Chrystal Banks who captivated the audience with her through college, to motherhood, to Per Scholas, and now to a spot in the General Assembly web developer course on a full scholarship. She eloquently relayed the importance of supporting organizations like Per Scholas, saying, “Your being here is so powerful. Your being here matters. It creates opportunity. It changes lives.” You can read her full remarks here.

Chrystal was followed by keynote speaker Marty Rodgers, Managing Director of Accenture and Accenture Federal Services. He began, “Like Chrystal, it is my fondest hope that my children will grow up to change the world. If we bet on people like Bridgette Gray and we bet on organizations like Per Scholas, and we have courage to collaborate, we can change communities.” Marty inspired the crowd with his person story of his name, explaining that a name defines who and what you are. Per Scholas, he emphasized, means “through education”; and through education, we can achieve anything.

Marty was followed by Managing Director Bridgette Gray, who was glowing from the outpouring of support from the local community. In addition to thanking partners and supporters, Bridgette awarded two organizations, Dynamic Network Solutions (DNS) and MagView each as a Corporate Partner of the Year. Collectively the two firms have hired 20% of the NCR graduates. Accepting the award on behalf of DNS, Jason Coke shared with the crowd, “As a small business, it’s really hard to find talent. Per Scholas has changed the way we hire. We get high quality candidates on a consistent basis.”

Bridgette then announced the news of Per Scholas and partner Symantec launching a cybersecurity training track for veterans in the National Capital Region in the coming year. Symantec has made a substantial investment in the project as a part of its Cyber Career Connection (SC3) initiative earning them the Innovator of the Year which was accepted by Cheri McGuire of Symantec. Bridgette presented the award with, “Innovation is hard. It’s easy to avoid. It’s easy to say no. It’s hard to put skin in the game and say yes. It is a huge honor to recognize Symantec for saying yes to innovation.”

The program was closed by Per Scholas National Capital Region Advisory Board Chair Ed Glabus who rallied the crowd to get involved with Per Scholas in specific ways:

• Connect with Per Scholas on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
• Invest in our training
• Volunteer time to work with students to build their professional development
• Hire our graduates like the 50+ other companies in the NCR
• Become a thought partner and help lead Per Scholas to the next phase of growth
• Join our local advisory board to use your leadership to build the future of Per Scholas

There was undeniable enthusiasm from a strong community of champions to expand the impact of Per Scholas well into the future. We thank all of our sponsors — Symantec, Accenture, Capital One, Catholic Charities, Dynamic Network Solutions, IronBow, and MagView; our advisory board, local staff, the event team at The Event Studio, and all the people who showed up to support the work we do.

We will be posting the photos from the evening as well as the photobooth on our Facebook page by next week.

To get involved in our work, you can go to perscholas.org or contact Managing Director Bridgette Gray at [email protected].

Per Scholas National Capital Region graduate Chrystal Banks opened up the Beta Bash 1.0 with a speech about her journey into technology through Per Scholas.

See a copy of her remarks below.

GOOD EVENING!

It is such an honor to be kicking off the first-ever Beta Bash event in support of Per Scholas.

My name is Chrystal Banks and I am a Per Scholas graduate.

Can all my fellow tech nerds make some noise?!

I am incredibly passionate about technology and I don’t even know where to begin to express what Per Scholas means to me.

I grew up here in the DMV. As a kid, I was really close to my dad. Anything he was doing, I wanted to do. He was always fixing every electronic device that existed. Computer systems, gaming systems, sound systems, you name it. We weren’t rich but somehow managed to always have the latest technology!

It was the 90s. New technology was hot.

My first computer had a Windows ‘95 OS and I will never forget it.

This is how I first started to learn technology. I would hook things up with my dad. Everything he did I was right there with him.

He would be really proud of me.

When I went to college, it wasn’t obvious for me to study technology. I was 18, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life yet. So I studied sociology because it interested me, but I had no idea what I was going to do with a degree in Sociology.

After my freshman year on campus I hit a few rough patches and had to take some time off.

I’d work retail, places like Starbucks, H&M. … Jobs just to fulfill my immediate needs.

But I knew I could do better for myself. This was a very discouraging time for me and I know some of you can relate.

After some years off, I went back to school focused and ready to plan for the rest of my life. I was a junior college … when I had my beautiful son Eli.

Being a new mother, full-time student, and working to pay the bills became too much. I once again had to stop my classes.

During this time I shared a small apartment with my mother, three siblings, and my son. My room was a very tiny den.

It was a really rough time. And I had no idea how to get past it. Lost and depressed doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt.

I was attending an information session for jobs with the Census Bureau when someone came in to talk about a different opportunity.

A training that would teach me technology skills, provide me IT certifications, and help me launch a career in tech —- And it was FREE.

I think I might have asked the guy a hundred questions.

The program was Per Scholas. I will never forget this day.

You ask the world to give you signs … and this was my sign.

My dad passed away a few years before —- and I just knew … I just felt this had to be his sign. And I knew that this was my opportunity. Nothing was going to stop me.

I’ve never been so motivated, I applied the same day!

The day I got accepted to Per Scholas was one of the best days of my life. The life I wanted to create for myself and my son.

I am sure you can hear the passion in my voice and that passion was met by everyone at Per Scholas. My fellow classmates. My instructor. The entire staff.

Everyone was there learning from the beginning together and we supported one another along the way.

Once we graduated and we all began to interview for jobs, I’d get a text from everyone wishing me luck. Even Bridgette would send me notes of encouragement.

With every discouraging moment, there was a community to keep me lifted up.

It wasn’t long after I graduated that I landed my first job in tech at Strayer University as a tier 1 Help Desk technician. From there I have gone on to work for ICMA-RC’s Help Desk.

I’m great at my job! I take pride in what I do.

Coming in with the basic skills Per Scholas gave me, it’s up to me to take the initiative to build on that, and I’ve done that. I ask questions. Beyond tier 1, I want to know everything.

And I am so happy and blessed that I get to continue learning. ON MONDAY I will begin a course at General Assembly to become a web developer —- and I got a full scholarship.

Sometimes I can’t believe it.

I’ve been doing the pre-work for the course and I’m knocking it out of the park!

When I get home from work, my fingers are itching to get to programming. I love every minute of learning to use Github, ruby rails, terminal… I cannot wait until my first day!

In tech —- and in life —- you have to constantly grow. The moment you stay still is the moment you stop your success.

I am my son’s role model. I want to provide him a great education and a better life. He is so smart, and I want to nurture that.

He’s only been here for two years and we spent most of that time living in a den with no windows and no door. I know he won’t remember that, and I don’t want him to. I want him to have a normal childhood, carefree and not grow up worrying about having food on the table.

I want to avoid that struggle at all cost —- and I am closer and closer to that point and have never been so confident.

Per Scholas really changes lives.

I cannot emphasize that point enough.

I am smart. I am extremely hard working. I just didn’t know where to go or what to do to begin and put my potential in action. My situation is not unusual. There are so many like me and we just need that door opened —- and we are ready to sprint through it.

I found Per Scholas and I am flying.

Your being here is so powerful. Your being here matters. It creates opportunity. It changes lives.

It is such a honor to be here tonight. I get the honor of acknowledging those of you who helped to make my opportunities possible. Accenture and Symantec, our presenting sponsors tonight. Thank you! Also supporting tonight are Capital One, Catholic Charities, DNS, Iron Bow and Magview. We so appreciate your collaboration.

I also want to recognize the Per Scholas board and host committee who helped make tonight possible. Thank you.

What I go on to achieve will be in part because you believed in me. And I cannot say thank you enough.

Thank you all and thank you Per Scholas!