Graduate Profile: Ulises Aguilar Maturin
Certification Success Stories
Uli Maturin is a graduate of ActivateWork's IT Support & Security Fundamentals course.
Before joining ActivateWork, Ulises (Uli) Aguilar Maturin was working in construction and HVAC—reliable work, but far from his passion.
A lifelong gamer with a natural curiosity for how technology works, Uli began self-studying for IT certifications and applying for jobs in tech. But without experience or industry connections, breaking in felt impossible. That changed when he found ActivateWork.
Through ActivateWork’s IT Support & Security Fundamentals bootcamp, Uli built a solid foundation in IT fundamentals and earned his CompTIA A+ certification—credentials he now puts to work as an IT Service Specialist at Janus Henderson.
Just as importantly, our career development training and personalized coaching supports helped him develop the essential professional skills that helped him stand out.
“My instructor emphasized the power of communication, even when you’re nervous,” he says. Mock interviews and constructive feedback prepared him to confidently land his role and opened the door to a fulfilling tech career.
Uli’s journey is a testament to what’s possible when potential meets opportunity. As he puts it:
“I couldn’t have gone to a better bootcamp than ActivateWork.”
Graduate Profile: Khalid Ibrahim
Certification Success Stories
A 2022 graduate of ActivateWork’s Security Fundamentals course with CompTIA A+ certification, Khalid Ibrahim has successfully launched his career in cybersecurity.
Originally from Eritrea, Khalid has always been passionate about technology, enjoying computers since he was a child. Before attending ActivateWork, he was pursuing an associate degree in cybersecurity from a community college, but he realized IT companies were looking for candidates with hands-on training. Although his college was covering the basics, there was very little hands-on learning to prepare him for a real work environment, and he felt the program was taking too long.
With this in mind, Khalid decided to expedite the process by enrolling in a bootcamp. He attended a career coaching event hosted at his school and was introduced to the cybersecurity courses offered by ActivateWork, powered by Per Scholas. He immediately applied for the Security Fundamentals program. Khalid says, “It was the right moment, everything clicked right away, and now, here I am!”
Khalid appreciates the way he learned new things every day in the ActivateWork program, especially how he could dive deep into specific cybersecurity topics he was interested in. “The instructors were so great and so helpful guiding us,” he said.
“And I had a great team of classmates who shared ideas and projects and helped each other out — it was definitely a team success!”
Khalid was also impressed by how much information was covered during the bootcamp.
“The class was very eye-opening,” he said. “You try everything out. You get to experience and touch a little of everything. And you know how to work hard, so you are ready for a job when you graduate!”
Upon graduation, Khalid interviewed for several positions and within a few weeks, accepted his current role of Systems Technician, earning more than $50,000 annually. He’s not stopping there, though! His goals are to continue taking classes, earn more certifications, and eventually work in a cybersecurity operations center.
“I’m so grateful to be part of this program,” Khalid said. “ActivateWork was a short-cut to my new career – taking a 3-month bootcamp rather than waiting four years to get a degree has changed my life.”
Graduate Profile: Bolanle Oladimeji
Certification Success Stories
Bola had many long nights and moments of doubt while participating in ActivateWork’s 15-week network support bootcamp. But she refused to give up.
“If I start a plan, I need to finish it,” explained Bolanle, who goes by Bola. “I would talk to myself in the mirror and tell myself not to quit.”
Turns out there were a lot of people counting on Bola—friends who thought the program sounded too good to be true or too difficult to conquer. They wanted Bola to test the waters. If she could succeed, then they maybe they could gain the confidence to apply.
So Bola persevered. She drew support from her fellow learners, asked her instructors for help, and dedicated countless hours to tackling the coursework. She now has CompTIA A+ and Google IT Support certifications and is interviewing for network administrator positions.
Bola has wanted to work in technology since earning an associate’s degree in mass communication in her native Nigeria. She spent the first several years of her career as a graphic designer, but after moving to the United States two years ago, she switched gears and became a caregiver to both adults battling dementia and children with developmental disabilities.
The idea of working in IT, particularly cybersecurity, however, still called to her.
Last year, she began searching for information on career training online and stumbled upon CrossPurpose, a nonprofit ActivateWork partner. After taking one of the organization’s assessments, she was referred to ActivateWork powered by Per Scholas, and the rest is history.
Bola says the program, which includes 100 hours in professional development, career, and life skills coaching, not only equipped her with in-demand IT skills but also helped her come out of her shell and gain more confidence.
Bola is now focused on gaining real-world networking support experience and hopes to eventually return to ActivateIT for cybersecurity training.
“I have succeeded beyond my expectations,” she said.
Graduate Profile: Mamadou Diallo
Certification Success Stories
Mamadou Diallo, an ActivateWork graduate of 2021, is a dedicated student of personal and academic growth. He spends much of his free time studying subjects of philosophy, computer science, and general well-being.
Before immigrating to the US from Senegal, Mamadou had completed his bachelor’s in biology. He worked as a mental health counselor and health technician for a while after graduation. While it was honest work, he felt that IT was where he wanted to be in the long run.
Mamadou’s interest in IT grew when he worked as a customer service rep troubleshooting iPads and desktops. When Mamadou moved to join his cousin in the US, he knew he would want to enroll in school and began studying computer networking at the Community College of Aurora.
He felt that doing so would give him a leg up in the job market and make him eligible for more diverse job opportunities.
However, the transition was difficult; despite his interest and passion, he found that the school’s affordability was taking its toll. He had begun applying for entry-level tech jobs to no avail. At the time, Mamadou didn’t have a strong resume, nor did he have the tech certificates to back up his skillset. He thought that all his years of IT work experience should have qualified, if not over-qualified, him for all the positions he was applying for.
“I just needed someone who could allow me to start from the bottom.”
One day, he had brought this sentiment to his friends at a barbecue his brother hosted, and someone from the BBQ told him about ActivateWork.
“He said they helped you with everything; school, resume, and getting a job, so I applied. I thought it was too good to be true,” he said.
The next day, he applied. When he came to ActivateWork, Mamadou had already stopped applying for jobs. He was discouraged by the requirements employers were asking for in entry-level positions.
At ActivateWork, he was given a team of support. Before long, Mamadou was flying through his coursework. He worked with Dulcy Booth, Director of Career Development, to spruce up his resume. With the help of Ace VanWanseele, Manager of Business Solutions, he applied for jobs until he landed a position as Advance Video Engineer I at Spectrum/Charter.
“I am so happy. This is real.” Mamadou had been self-studying IT material for years. He took courses online through sites like Udemy and read textbooks, but ActivateWork helped him fill the gaps where self-teaching fell short. “I am so grateful for what ActivateWork does.”
Aside from studying, Mamadou enjoys spending time with his friends. You can catch him playing soccer in our local parks or enjoying a meal at Noodles & Company. His longer-term goals include upskilling in areas including Python, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes. Ultimately, he hopes to work in Cloud systems where he can expand his diverse skillset.