"The ad was for a program at the nonprofit Per Scholas, which provides technology training, industry-recognized certifications, and professional development to low- and moderate-income adults. After applying and interviewing, Juarez enrolled in a software engineering course in which he learned coding languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby, which are considered industry standards for client-side web development. Eight years later, Juarez, now 27, is a software engineer at American Express and makes $150,000 a year."
"Juarez said he "hated high school" and earned a 1.0 GPA, "which is about the worst you could do possible," because he felt school was "just making me a number." Per Scholas was different. "I don't really even know what [my life] would have been without Per Scholas," he said. "They made me feel like a whole person unto myself.""
"Last year, more than 5,500 people across the U.S. enrolled in Per Scholas, at a time where many Americans are turning to vocational training and deeply questioning the return-on-investment of a four-year college education. More than 60% of people believe college is not worth the cost because they graduate with high student debt and without specialized skill"
At 19, Angel Juarez worked part-time at a crafts store earning under $15,000 a year and struggled to pay $700 monthly rent. He discovered a free program at the nonprofit Per Scholas and enrolled in a software engineering course after applying and interviewing. The training covered HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby and offered industry-recognized certifications and professional development for low- and moderate-income adults. By age 27 Juarez became a software engineer at American Express earning $150,000. More than 5,500 people enrolled in Per Scholas last year while many Americans question four-year college ROI and the cost of student debt.
Read at Fortune
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