Naya, Per Scholas graduate, embodies the go-getter spirit that will continue to revolutionize the tech industry for years to come. Just as many trailblazing technologists before her, Naya marches to the beat of her own drum. She built her first computer at age 8 and she’s been hooked since.

Naya grew up in New York City and has been doing odd jobs to make her own money since the age of 14. In high school, she started her own tech support business fixing cell phones–a skill she learned from watching a YouTube video when her own device broke.

After high school, Naya continued on to college studying computer science at LaGuardia Community College. Here she had her first experience with programming, participating in the Hour of Code through Codeacademy. “I fell in love. It was really fun. I got to be creative while also doing tech. It was my first interaction with coding,” she says.

After a year in college, Naya was having a hard time paying for tuition. Going to class and working odd jobs wasn’t cutting it. “I needed to move out of my mom’s house. I needed a stable job to pay for college and support myself.”

A friend told her about Per Scholas and Naya realized that she could launch the career she’s always wanted, with or without a degree.

She enrolled. The course was thorough, she says, and directly prepares an individual to become a tech professional. “I became well versed in my technical knowledge. I learned to speak the lingo and I learned the needed skills to get a job.”

During her time at Per Scholas Naya had a full plate professionally and personally. She was still taking two college courses while going to Per Scholas full time. Money was extremely tight.

“There were a lot of times when I didn’t have money to eat,” she says. Struggling to find her own place upon graduation, the Per Scholas community rallied to help her find a roof over her head and resources to make ends meet. “If I didn’t have Per Scholas, I would be homeless. If it wasn’t for them, I would just be getting by,” she says. “Per Scholas helped me get on my feet.”

Shortly after graduation, she found somewhere to live and started working three jobs: interning at the Black Car Fund; doing contract work at Peak Systems; and working as a Technical Assistant at Per Scholas.

After a few months of juggling multiple jobs, Naya found a permanent position at the American Booksellers Association as an Office Tech Support Coordinator. Now she works at Agile Networks. She has her own condo, too, just 20 minutes from her job in Times Square. That is a lot to accomplish (and overcome) at such a young age. 

“The most important thing right now is learning as much as I can in the technology field. As a woman in technology, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to make sure you are well versed and confident in what you’re doing. I want to gain as much experience as I can to move ahead, and give back.”

In the future, Naya hopes to work hard enough to be her own boss. “For the future, I know I want to have my own company. I want to do something that includes giving back and technology.”

Talk about leaning in. Sheryl Sandberg would be impressed.

Driving the Next Generation of Technologists

Enjoy a day on the golf course and support Per Scholas at our second annual Columbus Golf Outing on September 10.

Last year the generous support we received through this event was reinvested in talented, unemployed and underemployed local residents who leveraged our free training to secure life-changing jobs in technology and began creating better lives for themselves and their families. Our graduates have made $3.5 million in wages in the past two and a half years – a significant investment into the regional economy.

Become a sponsor of our signature event in Columbus and enjoy friendly team competition as well as the opportunity to meet and get to know our extraordinary students and alumni. There will be complimentary refreshments, a raffle, course contests, and team prizes. To secure a sponsorship, contact Managing Director Rob Guentter atrguentter@perscholas.org or 614-824-4777 for more information.

• DATE: September 10, 2015
• SHOTGUN START: 10:00AM; Registration begins at 8:30AM; lunch and reception to follow golf
• WHERE: Golf Club of Dublin – 5805 Eiterman Road, Dublin, OH 43016
• TEAMS: $440 for 4 golfers (full team); $110 for individual

Now accepting individual golfers. Click here to get your ticket.

Thanks to our sponsors: Centric Consulting, HMB, LeadingEDJE, Lightwell, andTEKsystems.

As far back as she can remember, Per Scholas graduate Lisa Edwards has been a natural problem solver. Before Per Scholas, she worked many different firms including accounting, real estate, and insurance. At every placement she worked, she was a valuable asset, always finding ways to save the company money and time.

There was just one problem: at all her jobs, she was a temp. She was tired of always looking for new work, despite excelling at her temporary positions. She wanted something permanent and stable — the kind of job where she could use her well-honed problem solving skills to move up.

One afternoon shortly after being unemployed, Lisa was standing on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn when Jeffrey Hatton, Per Scholas director of community engagement, handed her a flyer for the program. She didn’t look at it, but put it in her bag and kept walking. After a few weeks, she took a look at the flyer again, attended an information session on a Friday, and enrolled in the Women in Tech class starting the following Monday.

“I realized that everything is run on some sort of technology. If I can do this for the next 30 years, there are so many areas that I can be actively working. Technology has so many opportunities for me.”

The training at Per Scholas was just was she had been looking for. She wanted skills, real skills that would translate into a viable career. “When I first walked in on that Monday, they had the motherboards right on the desk. I was totally excited. It was so hands-on.”

Besides the technical skills, Lisa learned a lot from her fellow women classmates. “In class at Per Scholas, I learned to focus. Most women have a lot of responsibility. Their responsibility is not just financial. They are solely responsible for their household, for their family. I learned that I had to delegate things so I could focus on learning this new thing in my life.”

Upon graduating with her CompTIA A+ and Net+ certifications, Lisa landed an internship at the MTA where she worked in the Network Operations Center for 9 months. Through this internship, she gained valuable experience.

Lisa knows the power of connections, especially for women in the vast technology industry of New York City. Through attending networking events, talking to colleagues, and her contacts at Per Scholas, Lisa finished her internship at the MTA and walked straight into a job at Barclays. She is now an Analyst, where she uses her strong skill set to find patterns and solve problems on a daily basis.

This year at the first annual Bronx Tech Summit Lisa got the chance to meet Minerva Tantoco, the Chief Technology Officer of New York City. Ms. Tantoco gave Lisa a tip: a key tool in being successful in this industry is networking. Advice Lisa was already living by. “You have to have the skills, but knowing the people can get you to the front of the line.”

Her passion for women in tech sparked by her education at Per Scholas continues at Barclays. Lisa is part of the Women in Tech program at her employer where she is heavily involved in throwing networking events for women of all ages.

“I want to be a part of getting women to elevate themselves into higher positions,” she says.

She also loves Barclays because she says there’s always room to grow. “With the skills that I have and my understanding of the field, I see myself in a place where I can move up in this company.”

Lisa also commends Barclays for their involvement in the community. Through her position on the Networking Committee in the Women in Tech program there, she gets the chance to help other women follow a path to success.

“I like people. I am happy to see people grow and improve themselves. I hope to constantly improve upon myself. I like to share my positivity.”

Taariq Williams walked into Per Scholas from day one with an attitude of motivation. Tech was his passion; and he knew that Per Scholas was the chance he’d been waiting for to launch a career.

For Taariq, this chance was a long time coming. He had always loved computers, calling himself the “Gadget Guy” growing up. After he graduated high school, he applied to college and enrolled at ASA College, a for-profit institution, to study technology. He wanted to get into the industry, and thought college was the best way to get there. Unfortunately, due to financial strain, he had to drop out of college after just one year.

Even though college didn’t work out, Taariq was determined to find another way to pursue a technology career. He learned about Per Scholas through his cousin, a New York graduate, and applied. Taariq made it all the way to the final interview, the last step in a lengthy process, and was declined due to a limited number of spaces available in the class. “It was disappointing, but I had to keep going.”

Now twice discouraged, he began looking for work and took a job at the US Post Office. The pay was good, the job was stable, but something was missing. “It wasn’t skills-based work. I didn’t have a passion for it. Even though you can make a good living there, the work itself didn’t matter to me. I wanted to do something that I like doing every day.”

He stayed at the Post Office for a few months but couldn’t ignore what was driving him. He knew what he wanted. “I haven’t felt this strong about something in a long time,” he says. “I didn’t want to give up on tech.”

Many people either aren’t brave enough to reapply or they tell themselves it’s not an option. But Taariq wouldn’t take no for an answer and reapplied to Per Scholas, and proved second chances are real. He was accepted at Per Scholas in 2015 in the IT Support class.

Blown away by the quality of the education, his favorite part of the Per Scholas course was the Career Development, the portion of the training that teaches students how to job search, write an effective resume, and essential workplace skills like communication. “I knew that Per Scholas was the place for me, but when I got into the program, I was even more impressed.”

While a student, Taariq had the chance to participate in the Imagine Gala, Per Scholas New York’s biggest fundraiser of the year, where he helped to run the Tech Challenge, an interactive portion of the event’s program. Guests are walked through stations where they have to solve technical issues, like removing a virus or reconnecting a network. Students like Taariq guided them through each station. The guests learn more about what a Per Scholas student learns, and the student learns how to network and present professionally. “Per Scholas puts you in good situations that help you challenge yourself,” Taariq says.

His dedication to bettering himself while at Per Scholas didn’t go unnoticed at home. He says his mother recognized just how motivated Taariq was throughout the training and started pitching in by making him lunch every day and helping him with his transportation fare when she could. He says he really appreciated the extra support during the intense training.

Now, post graduation, Taariq works at Per Scholas corporate Partner Time Warner Cable (TWC) as a Technician where he repairs and restores internet and cable in homes. The steady paycheck is wonderful, and he gets to use his newly polished networking and communication skills every day.

“Having the stability and being able to provide for your family is the greatest thing,” he says.

He loves TWC and recognizes that the company has a lot of opportunity to move up the ladder.

A strong Per Scholas advocate, Taariq is now trying to recruit his friends to go through the program as well. “I think I can show people my story and help them,” he says. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without Per Scholas.”

“My daughter has been helpful in this process. She has kept me focused. I need to be able to provide her a better childhood.”

Family means everything to Reggie. He speaks highly and often of his mother and father. Born and raised in the Bronx, his house was the go-to spot among all of his friends growing up. “My parents were parents to all of my friends.” When Reggie became a father himself, he was raised to know to take that job seriously. “I appreciate what my parents and family gave me which motivates me to want to do better for my daughter.”

As a teenager and young adult he travelled the country performing music, and loved it. “Being on a stage. Feeding off an audience. There is nothing like it.” Reggie held down jobs around his performance schedule, usually low-paying porter and sales positions. He had his eye set on college, to begin working toward a career. Like so many, though, he couldn’t afford it and stopped taking classes after a year and a half.

His mother pointed him to Per Scholas. Because the time commitment doesn’t allow for many candidates to work and go to class simultaneously, his first reaction was, “I couldn’t do it. I needed a job. I needed money.” He took another security job instead—only to get laid off along with 40 others. The opportunity resurfaced and it was his girlfriend who pushed him and encouraged him. She told him this was an opportunity to grow. She made sacrifices, they did together, and he enrolled. “She was happier than me on my graduation day,” he laughs. “She knew the importance. She knew what this meant.” Per Scholas was an opportunity to have a career, not just a job.

Getting to the finish line and graduating was not easy for Reggie. The strict attendance policy was a daily hurdle, but one he respected to get him job ready. “You know that movie with Will Smith called the ‘Pursuit of Happyness’? That was me on some days.” Referring to the scene where Will Smith, a single parent living in a shelter, is competing in a non paid internship that could earn him a job at the company. On his way for the first day, he gets hit by a car, loses his shoe, but keeps running at a dead sprint to make it on time.

That was Reggie. To get to class, he would drop his daughter off at school in West Harlem and sprint across town to catch the east side subway to Per Scholas. Hurrying his 4-year-old daughter along, he’d explain, “Daddy has to get to school, too!” Once, he says he almost got taken out by a car… But he kept going. He would show up to class in a complete sweat, he shares.

“There were too many people at stake for me to fail. I don’t know what I would have done if I had disappointed them.” His friends and family were invested in his success. Throughout the 14 weeks of training, everyone chipped in with childcare, metro fare, meals, and motivation.

Reggie was a self-proclaimed day dreamer, at least when it came to high school and college (he specifically called out sociology: “Come on, how can you not day dream in that class?”). Class was often not interesting to him. That is why he valued what Per Scholas offered so much. “The knowledge you guys have in this building is crazy.” He is referring to the instructors who together bring decades of industry experience and are veterans of teaching. “You learn something new every day. The teaching style is delivered in a way that you can’t lose interest. You want to participate.”

When asked why technology piqued his interest, he responded with: “What year did Nintendo come out?” He laughs and continues to recall the vivid memory of the day a computer was brought home. Mavis Beacon, Jeopardy and Carmen San Diego games on a floppy disc are name dropped one after the other. AOL and dial-up internet follow. Napster music downloading. And so on. Reggie goes through the timeline and evolution of modern-day technology — memories fond to many born in the 80s. When software evolved to support music production, he taught himself everything he could. Coming to Per Scholas allowed him to take that natural curiosity and talent and make it a formal skill. He lit up about knowing the technical terms to articulate what he had been guessing for so many years.

Since graduating Reggie has wrapped up an internship with computer literacy organization IGotITToo where he teaches classes to seniors and young adults while also maintaining the labs and a contract position with Robert Half Technology. He most recently started a new position with American Dream Charter School in the Bronx as Tech Support. And of course, “I fix everyone’s computers now. Everyone comes to me.”

To sum it up super cheesy, Reggie is pursuing happiness.

“Awesome”… “Unbelievable”… “Great synergy with CityLink.”

On July 21, technology job-training nonprofit Per Scholas celebrated the grand opening of its new location in the CityLink Center, located in west end Cincinnati. More than 60 guests attended at the Bank Street location to support this new collaboration. Guests toured the technology-training facility, met graduates of the program as well as current students, and learned about Per Scholas’ high-impact technology job training.

“You are doing good and important work here,” Cincinnati Vice Mayor David Mann remarked as a special guest speaker in the program. Others from local city agencies, corporations, and philanthropy joined–with a large presence from the local IT industry.

One feeling was unanimous: “impressed.” Courtney Hodapp, representing JPMorgan Chase, commented on how impressed she was with everything she saw and heard. A representative of Senator Rob Portman stated that she was very impressed with both the program and students.

Per Scholas training graduate Rita Knaff gave remarks at the opening. Prior to Per Scholas she worked in the airline industry for nearly 20 years before being laid off during the economic recession. “After 100 job applications, receiving rejection letter after rejection letter, I knew I needed a new plan.” She found and enrolled in Per Scholas and today works at local IT company Pomeroy as a project coordinator.

Per Scholas and CityLink share a similar mission of helping Greater Cincinnatians break the cycle of poverty. As part of the collaboration, Per Scholas students now have access to on-site childcare during their classes, financial counseling through SmartMoney, private transportation through Changing Gears, counseling with Catholic Charities, and more, that allow students to complete the job training and begin a new career without additional obstacles in the way.

“We needed a place where we can expand and grow in Cincinnati, and provide the many wraparound services that ensures our students are able to fully transform their life. CityLink welcoming us into its network allows for all of that,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas.

CityLink Executive Director, Johnmark Oudersluys, is grateful to have a nationally recognized program join the CityLink collaboration, “We are extremely excited about the synergies our partnership with Per Scholas presents our clients and how it will further our respective missions.”

To date, Per Scholas has enrolled 130 residents from Greater Cincinnati, and employed graduates are already earning approximately $1.8 million dollars collectively.

The Cincinnati location of Per Scholas is part of a national network of sites launched by its New York City based headquarters. Founded in 1995 as a neighborhood-based effort to increase access to personal computers, Per Scholas was an early pioneer in bridging the digital divide for families and children in the South Bronx.

Per Scholas and CityLink plan to serve up to 80 individuals through the IT career training during the first year, with a goal of not only graduating, but placing students in gainful field-related employment opportunities.

Nyaisha is 21 and works at one of the largest multinational corporations in the world: Xerox. It goes without saying that Nyaisha is smart. But, she is so much more than tech smart; this girl has vision way beyond her years.

Nyaisha grew up in the Bronx with her parents and her younger brother. At age 18, when all of her friends were saying “yes” to expensive four-year colleges and universities, Nyaisha pressed pause. She knew that investing in an expensive education would be fruitless unless she truly knew what she wanted to do first.

“I know a lot of people that rushed into college because that’s what their parents wanted them to do. A lot of them dropped out or got pregnant,” she says. Success, according to Nyaisha, is about experience and skills.

Nyaisha radiates optimism and drive. Her mom and dad were young parents living in the Bronx, but still finished college and pursued careers, showing Nyaisha and her brother that hard work pays off.

In her late teens and early 20s, Nyaisha did some serious self exploration instead of jumping into college. She had always loved technology, but wasn’t sure how to get her foot in the door. “I already knew I wanted to be in the IT industry but I didn’t know how to get in without going to college.”

Instead, after graduating high school, Nyaisha enrolled in two job readiness programs that connected her with internships, but she was concerned that she wasn’t learning the hard skills needed to succeed in the competitive New York tech scene. One day she received an email from Per Scholas community partner NYCHA, the New York City Housing Authority, promoting a free A+/Net+ certification and IT job training course with job placement services. Curious and optimistic, Nyaisha jumped on the opportunity and applied to Per Scholas. Nyaisha enrolled in the Women in Tech class at Per Scholas and her journey to a career in technology was underway. She gravitated to Per Scholas’ all-women’s class because of competitive spirit. “I have always loved technology and actually like that it’s a male-dominated field. I’m competitive. I love being a girl who’s told: ‘You can’t do that’ just so I can prove them wrong.”

At Per Scholas, Nyaisha found the course challenging like most students. “Literally each day is precious. Even if you miss one day, you miss a world of information.” She enjoyed the hands-on learning environment, and recognized that the skills-based training at Per Scholas was the key to honing her tech chops and landing a permanent position in the industry.

After completing the course, Nyaisha was a certified tech — and proud of it. “Now saying that I am A+ and Net+ certified, it really means a lot.”

Upon graduation Nyaisha landed a job with Xerox. Although it was difficult transitioning into the workforce, especially navigating office culture, she now says that life is good. “I have a great rapport with all of my co-workers. I take pride in my job.”

Before Per Scholas, she was making minimum wage. Today she is working in her first-ever tech job earning three times that. Her advice for future Women in Tech grads? “No matter how hard it is, stick with it. At the end of the day, it will pay off.”

“Per Scholas gives me hope that we can tackle our country’s hardest problems.” – Chelsea Clinton

That’s what she said. Reflecting on her impression of meeting Per Scholas graduate Tiffany Lewin at the 2014 CGI America Summit, Chelsea gave her stamp of approval of the model and mission of Per Scholas.

Tiffany, a graduate from 2011 at the age of 19, is now a three-year veteran in the IT department at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She represented Per Scholas on a panel moderated by Chelsea Clinton and shared her experience as a young adult who bridged the opportunity gap through the job training provided by Per Scholas.

Beyond giving a voice to young adults in the U.S., Tiffany acted as another important role model: She was the first woman on the IT team at the hospital in 25 years.

“Through the free training at Per Scholas, Tiffany gained the knowledge, skills, and credentials to prove to an employer she had value. And Tiffany today is a role model, showing other girls and young women that everyone has a place in the tech industry,” Chelsea shared.

Tiffany represents thousands of people living across the U.S. who lack the access to a better opportunity or better education beyond what is made available to them by default of their zip code. The gap is especially alarming in technology where opportunity is endless, but the unequal access to these jobs is reflected in the workforce. Women make up only 26% of the tech workforce–and many argue that estimate is being generous. More unsettling, less than 5% are women of color.

The tech industry confesses: they need more diversity. It makes their products better, user experience better, their companies better.

We are on a mission to help fix this gap. Over the next three years, Per Scholas will inspire, train and support 1000 WOMEN IN TECH across the cities we serve nationally. Building on important gains: more than 700 women have enrolled in our training since 2011, with more than three in four women graduating and obtaining entry-level IT employment. The average starting salaries for our women graduates are equal to, and sometimes higher, than their male counterparts exceeding $30,000 base starting salaries.

Join the movement. You can support our shared commitment to diversify the tech industry and completely change the workforce by investing in someone like Tiffany. Donate and learn more.

As Chelsea Clinton expressed, “Per Scholas proves that we can create more high-performing professionals like Tiffany and that by doing so, a more diverse and competitive workforce that ultimately benefits all of us, and our shared future.”

On July 14, Per Scholas held its annual Women in Tech Networking Event where we celebrated Per Scholas’ women grads who are diversifying the industry. Our friends, colleagues, partners alums and students joined us in our commitment to build a welcoming community for every woman technologist in New York City and beyond.

At the event, guests heard from inspiring women technologists about how they are touching the lives of other women all over New York City and beyond.

Vice President of Program Operations, Kelly Richardson, rocked it on the mic as the emcee. Special shout out to CA Technologies for sponsoring, to Kate Spade & Company Foundation and the New York Women’s Foundation for their generous support of the program, and to our host Thomson Reuters.Thanks to our panelists:Lisa Edwards, Per Scholas grad & Analyst at Barclays; Joyce Shen of Thomson Reuters; and Marianne Cocco of CA Technologies.

Per Scholas has committed to train 1,000 women for careers in technology by 2018. Since the launch of our Women in Tech program in 2013, 425 women have already graduated from Per Scholas, 89% of whom are women of color.

As our Women in Tech grads diversify the tech industry, the support helps provide the welcoming community they and every woman technologist needs as — together — we work to transform NYC’s vibrant tech ecosystem.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Make an Investment and donate to our 1,000 WOMEN IN TECH summer campaign. (Or, encourage a friend to donate!). Every dollar supports our shared commitment to diversifying the tech industry.
2. Volunteer to work with students on their path to a career in tech. Contact Sarah for opportunities.
3. Mentor a future woman technologist. Per Scholas is actively recruiting mentors from the technology field to encourage and advise Women in Tech students with the goal of helping them transition into the IT workforce. Contact Sarah for opportunities.
4. Hire a graduate. Pass this email along to your HR department or other key players, or contact Sarah for more information.
5. Spread the word. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to keep up with the feel good news. Forward this message to friends and family to share our inspiring work with more.

National IT Training Program is newest collaborative partner to CityLink’s West End campus

Cincinnati, OH— Nationally-recognized IT job training nonprofit Per Scholas is celebrating the opening of its new location in the CityLink Center with a grand opening event open to the public on July 21 at 800 Bank Street. The event will run from 1:30-3:30 PM EDT. Guests will tour the technology training facility, meet graduates and current students, and learn about Per Scholas’ high-impact technology job training. Remarks will be made by Vice Mayor David Mann, supporting partners CityLink, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and Pomeroy, and Per Scholas executives.

CityLink Center and Per Scholas joined forces to support their shared mission of helping Greater Cincinnatians break the cycle of poverty. Per Scholas joins as a resident partner at CityLink providing free professional technology training and job placement services for unemployed adults seeking careers in IT. Its model has been recognized by the White House as an effective solution to assisting the unemployed back to work. CityLink integrates 15 different onsite social service partners offering a wide-range of services and supports delivered in a holistic context to magnify impact. By giving people the skills to gain meaningful employment and provide for themselves and their families, Per Scholas and CityLink are building the foundation for stronger, financially stable communities.

Per Scholas made the move from its former site in Avondale and began classes at the CityLink Center in March. The 8-week intensive technical training course is designed to equip individuals who are committed to beginning a career in IT support with CompTIA A+ and other certifications. In addition to extensive hands-on technical training, programming includes career and personal development as well as ongoing individualized support and coaching for job placement matching graduates directly with local employers like Pomeroy and Time Warner Cable. To date, Per Scholas enrolled 130 residents from Greater Cincinnati, and employed graduates are already earning approximately $1.8 million dollars collectively.

As a part of the CityLink collaboration, Per Scholas students now have access to on-site childcare during classes, financial counseling through SmartMoney, private transportation through Changing Gears, counseling with Catholic Charities, and more.

“We needed a place where we can expand and grow in Cincinnati, and provide the many wraparound services that ensures our students are able to fully transform their life. CityLink welcoming us into its network allows for all of that. It is wonderful to be joining this community and the impact we will have on our students and alumni will only be greater,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas.

CityLink Executive Director, Johnmark Oudersluys, is grateful to have a nationally recognized program join the CityLink collaboration, “We are extremely excited about the synergies our partnership with Per Scholas presents our clients and how it will further our respective missions. Together we are able to surround these students with supports and services from our other on-site partners to maximize the impact of their time and training.”

The Cincinnati location of Per Scholas is part of a national network of sites launched by its New York City based headquarters. Founded in 1995 as a neighborhood-based effort to increase access to personal computers, Per Scholas was an early pioneer in bridging the digital divide for families and children in the South Bronx. Today, Per Scholas operates the largest and oldest professional IT workforce development program in New York and began expanding nationally in 2012. Other locations include Columbus, Dallas, Washington, D.C., with additional sites to follow.

Per Scholas and CityLink plan to serve up to 80 individuals through the IT career training during the first year, with a goal of not only graduating, but placing students in gainful field-related employment opportunities.