Graduate Profile: Isaac Horton

“Even before I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to work in the IT field.”

But without a clear entry point, Isaac accepted a job in the finance department at a Subaru dealership after graduation. While it was a good job, he wasn’t passionate about it, and there were no opportunities for future growth.

So he began searching for entry-level IT careers on Indeed. There, he came upon a posting for IT Support training with ActivateWork powered by Per Scholas.

When Isaac read of the opportunity, he thought it was too good to be true—ActivateWork offered the chance to earn industry-recognized certifications along with hands-on learning, career development, and job placement support at no cost. But he soon learned that it was not only real but also the perfect launchpad to a new career.

While enrolled in ActivateWork’s Network Support course, Isaac worked evenings and weekends as a delivery driver. This proved challenging during the full-time program, but with the support of his instructors and coaches, he managed his time effectively and completed the course. He attributes much of his success to that community, saying, “They were super passionate and helped me stay caught up.”

Upon graduating, Isaac was prepared to pass key industry certification exams and well-equipped for his new career in IT, thanks to career development and coaching from the ActivateWork team.

“The career development in this program is irreplaceable. To be able to learn to sell yourself and get a great job in and of itself is a huge benefit.”

After completing the course, ActivateWork helped place him in a Tech Support Representative role with an employer partner, FirstBank. He was thrilled to start his career with such a reputable company, where he sees a path for continued growth and upward mobility. His goal is to continue adding certifications each year through FirstBank’s tuition assistance program. He hopes to advance into a software engineering role in the future.

Since starting his new career, Isaac has been matched with his ActivateWork post-placement coach, who provides ongoing support as he navigates his new role. He has already seen tremendous value in this resource and sees his coach as a professional mentor. This coaching will continue for at least 6 months.

Isaac is now further along in his career journey and earning more than before he was laid off. He is poised for an even better future, and he couldn’t be happier to have his foot in the door to an IT career. For his investment of 3 months of time and hard work, he says,

“It was absolutely worth it. I would recommend ActivateWork to anyone ready to get started in the IT field. No scholarship can even compare.”