Graduate Profile: Sydney Atencio
Women in Tech
Sydney Atencio is a graduate of ActivateWork's IT Support & Security Fundamentals bootcamp.
Sydney Atencio’s career journey is defined by determination, sacrifice, and transformation. At the young age of 19, she became a mother and entered Warren Village, a transitional housing program offering childcare and life-skills classes, while she worked and studied for her degree.
With this support, Sydney finished her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Colorado and launched a career in marketing and design. For seven years, she thrived at a small automotive business until the COVID pandemic upended her stability.
Forced to Pivot by COVID-19
Losing her job and, soon after, her apartment, Sydney, her husband, and their daughter moved into a family member’s basement. To get by, she began freelancing in graphic design, but the work was inconsistent and increasingly demanded web-based skills outside her expertise.
Remembering the career resources she had heard about at Warren Village, Sydney thought back to ActivateWork’s tuition-free workforce training programs. With an influx of freelance projects requiring a different skill set, she decided to enroll in ActivateWorks’ IT Support & Security Fundamentals bootcamp.
“So many of the projects were getting increasingly complex and outside my scope,” she said.
“I needed a way to build my skills without a huge financial or time commitment, as I didn’t want to spend that much time away from my family.”
The program was rigorous, requiring personal and family sacrifices, but Sydney was determined to show her daughter the value of hard work and resilience.
“Going through the ActivateWork program was extremely hard, especially because I was in the bootcamp during the holidays,” she said.
“I had to say no to a lot of things. This taught me and my daughter that sacrifice comes with hard work, but it’s 100 percent worth it.”
A New Beginning Thanks to ActivateWork
Upon graduation, Sydney landed an IT Support role with Sage Hospitality, an ActivateWork employer partner, applying her new skills to support hotel systems nationwide. With her new income, she and her family were finally able to buy their first home after years of living in a family member’s basement.
But ActivateWork’s impact extended beyond Sydney’s career. It also opened new doors for her daughter through Bring Your Kid to Work Day tours in downtown Denver, a new computer gifted by Sage leadership, and even opportunities to travel out of state for summer camp.
“My daughter has been with me through every up and down,” she said.
“She watched me graduate from college, lose my job, excel from intern to full-time designer, start freelancing, get married, and even helped me study for ActivateWork exams. Now she’s watching all that work pay off as we move into our own home after four years of living in a basement and struggling to get on our feet.”
Living by Example for Her Daughter
Today, Sydney continues to advance her career and upskill both through ActivateWork and directly through her employer, where she is currently obtaining her CompTIA Security+ certification.
Though she once dreamed of blending graphic design and tech through software development, she has found passion, opportunity, and stability in IT. Sydney credits ActivateWork for giving her a pathway to stability, growth, and renewed family dynamics, proving to both her and her daughter the power of perseverance.
“I wanted to prove to my daughter that we can do hard things,” she said. ”We can do it scared, and we can do it with a lot of ambition. ActivateWork helped me show her the way.”
Graduate Profile: Ying Wang
Women in Tech
2023 Graduate – Software Engineering
Ying Wang is no stranger to technology. Born in China and raised in the culturally rich city of
Xi’an, she received a bachelor’s degree in IT from Xidian University. She worked as an IT project management engineer until immigrating to the United States and taking a break from her career to care for her family. But when she tried to reenter the workforce after a ten-year break, she found it difficult.
“I struggled to even get the opportunity to interview, even with a valuable skillset and work experiences,” Ying said. “Fortunately, I had a friend who had gone through ActivateWork’s program and recommended I check it out.”
Ying was impressed by ActivateWork’s promise of not only free intensive tech training but also local resources and connections to employers.
“I didn’t just update my IT skills, I also got to spend one day a week doing in-person career development training. I learned how to connect with my peers and solve problems together, and I got to practice interviewing with real HR professionals. I felt very supported and ready to meet employers.”
Ying graduated from ActivateWork’s Software Engineering program and is currently thriving as an apprentice CTE Programmer Analyst for the Colorado Community College System. Ying says, “I love the apprenticeship because I am getting a lot of on-the-job training in advanced tech skills – and because there’s a scaled progress plan from ActivateWork. I’m still getting on-going coaching sessions and continuous resources from them.” Ying says she recommends ActivateWork for other parents who have stepped away from their careers but are ready to reenter the workforce.
“ActivateWork offers support, opens up a world of connections. To me, they mean hope.”
Graduate Profile: Bolanle Oladimeji
Women in Tech
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: Anacani Briseno
Women in Tech
Anacani Briseno is a graduate of the ActivateWork Summer 2021 cohort.
Anacani first developed an interest in computer systems as a child through her brothers, who often shared their computer games with her. Since then, she has been experimenting with computers in her own time as a hobby.
Anacani was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She graduated from George Washington High School where she had taken college-level courses with the intent of going to college. She graduated in 2012 and went on to Metropolitan State University of Denver where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in management.
Anacani had hoped to continue to graduate school, but her financial situation held her back. Freshly graduated but unsure what she wanted to do next, Anacani joined the Transportation Security Administration at Denver International Airport.
For three years, she worked as an agent and slowly leveled up the ranks to an officer position. But she found herself taking on roles that she didn’t feel comfortable in. Then the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. With the airports running on survival mode, Anacani watched as many of her coworkers lost their jobs or quit. She remembers, “it was a very stressful work environment for everyone there.” She realized that a career in IT could put her where she wanted to be mentally and financially.
In the beginning of the shutdown, she had been going to work at the airport while many of her coworkers worked remotely from home. There were days where she spent a lot of her time on the phone in the airport with an IT support person working from their home. After a while, Anacani would ask the IT support members about their industry. With her background knowledge and understanding of computers systems, Anacani channeled her frustrations with her workplace into a search for better opportunities. She says, “I went down rabbit holes of information looking for the answers I needed.” And from those rabbit holes, Anacani turned it into a curious exploration of jobs in the industry.
She discovered ActivateWork’s tuition-free IT training through an Indeed job posting. “I thought it was too good to be true,” she said. She was intrigued and felt that she should scope out the program before she wrote it off. She applied and found out that it was an educational course designed to help people like her level up in the workforce. Anacani felt that her participation in the program would give her a leg up in the job search process. She felt confident despite the rigorous 15-week commitment that she could find great success with the support of the community ActivateWork could provide.
“It was a lot. I was up from 4 AM and often didn’t get down time until 12 AM. I was trying to balance work and going to school, but joining ActivateWork was a 180 degree change for me.”
After graduating with her IT support certification, Anacani started her job at Ardent Mills as an IT support analyst.
“I feel like I’ve finally found a company that will put their employees first,” she said. “They’re very supportive of their people and are open to helping them through more workforce development. I’m a lot happier here.”
Anacani feels that she has a great team at Ardent Mills—she appreciates the encouragement and support of her team to help her continue in an upward trajectory. She plans to continue to upskill and expand her skill set into cloud computing and engineering.
Graduate Profile: Jenell Weitz
Women in Tech
Before the pandemic put our world into shutdown, Jenell was working at a small translation services company as a Project Coordinator and Office Manager. Although she had enjoyed her job, she felt that it was time for her to try something new.
When her husband’s job search brought them to Denver, she seized the opportunity to make some big changes to her career. Jenell hadn’t always had an interest in tech, but through the Denver Public Library, she heard about a program called Code Forward sponsored by Devetry. Jenell was able to attend a free coding fundamentals course that provided her with some basic understanding of DevOps and how applications worked and were set up. She completed the full course and was even able to get some hands-on experience in coding projects.
As she completed the program and began her job search, Covid precautions began emptying offices and halting hiring processes. Despite that, Jenell pushed on, inquiring where she could, about possible opportunities to put her skills to work when she heard about ActivateWork’s tuition-free IT program from a friend.
Jenell joined ActivateWork and finished her full-time, 15-week IT support course in April 2021. On the day of her ActivateWork graduation, Jenell was able to meet with S&P Global and secure her current position as an IT technician, supporting the team’s financial applications to streamline processes and ensure compliance to company policies.
“I probably wouldn’t have gotten this job without them,” she recalls. “They really helped me develop my soft skills and the mock interviews were extremely helpful.”
Jenell says she loves that she can bring the skills she learns back home to share with her husband and children.
Jenell says she really enjoys working at S&P Global and that it is nice to have people whom she can relate to personally and professionally with. She looks forward to taking advantage of the educational programs her employer offers to upskill.
Graduate Profile: Geraldine Alden
Women in Tech
Originally from Peru, Geraldine moved to the United States in 2016 with a strong desire to secure a career in Cybersecurity or the IT field.
Technology has always been a hobby of Geraldine’s, something she enjoyed experimenting with for fun. But it wasn’t until she moved to the United States that she realized the significance of this field and the paths it offers.
When Geraldine moved to the United States, her transition to the professional world was not seamless, even though she had a university degree in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity. As a military spouse, frequent relocations added additional challenges to her job search. “Finding a job proved tough.
Companies were hesitant about my international work experience and the gap in my resume due to my family’s relocation.“ Frustrated but not deterred, Geraldine joined ActivateWork. Through the program, she gained practical experience, connected with professionals in the field, obtained her first CompTIA A+ certification, and participated in work-based learning programs at The Cybersecurity Center of the Metropolitan State University of Denver. These experiences led to an apprenticeship as a Security Analyst at Cyber Sainik.
“Reaching this point hasn’t been easy, but it’s just the beginning,” said Geraldine. “Every day presents new challenges and opportunities for growth in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Looking back, I’m grateful for the chance ActivateWork gave me to gain valuable experience and connections.”
Sam V. Kumar, CEO of CyberSainik: “Geraldine has been an invaluable asset to our team since joining CyberSainik as an apprentice. From day one, she has demonstrated a remarkable ability to grasp concepts quickly and apply them effectively to real-world scenarios. Geraldine’s growth throughout her apprenticeship journey has been truly impressive, and she’s proven herself to be an exceptional talent.”
Geraldine embodies the core principles of successful apprenticeships: offering individuals opportunities to excel while delivering substantial value to their teams and organizations.
Graduate Profile: Elena Kim
Women in Tech
A multicultural professional with Russian, Korean, and Uzbekistan roots, Elena moved to the US at the age of 24 without knowing any English.
Her diverse professional experience as a former accountant, bakery manager, photographer, and real estate agent has provided her with a rich skill set that she now brings to her tech career.
Elena’s journey at the Credit Union of Colorado exemplifies dedication and growth. As she neared her six-month milestone, Elena’s enthusiasm and engagement in her help desk responsibilities were evident.
“When I was an accountant, I worked with QuickBooks and often collaborated with my best friend, who is a cybersecurity specialist. Watching her work and asking questions sparked my fascination with the process.”
Her commitment to continuous learning and development is evident as she aims to transition from an end-user specialist to a full-time help desk technician, with a future goal of moving into cybersecurity.
Pursuing a CompTIA Security+ certification upon transitioning to full-time status highlights her dedication to advancing her skills and career within the organization. Elena credits her ActivateWork career coaches for playing a crucial role in providing the necessary guidance and resources for her personal and professional growth.
“My coaches at ActivateWork have been instrumental in ensuring that I received the guidance and resources I need for professional development.”
Elena’s story is a testament to resilience, growth, and the relentless pursuit of excellence! Her journey is an example of what can be achieved with hard work and the right support.