Steven Scholtes had always dreamed of working in the information technology (IT) industry, but for years he worked in the retail and restaurant industries to get by. That didn’t last. “I had a job dishwashing and cooking in a restaurant,…

As an educator in her native Pakistan, Saira Mirza had a wonderful career where she helped children gain digital literacy skills. “Children would love coming to my computer class!” recalls Saira. In 2002, Saira moved from Pakistan to Garfield, Minnesota…

Marse Visnevac was pursuing his bachelor’s degree in information technology when he heard about National Able Network’s IT Career Lab program. Marse was very eager to fulfill his career goals, and after attending an information session to learn more about…

John Childs earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology with an emphasis in Network Management. He was able to land work by freelancing for small businesses to fix computers and other electronics, but John also worked a second job at…

Joe Simanis, an electrical engineer by trade, began work in a sales position within a technology organization. He continued this career path for many years, and he ultimately perfected his skills in sales. Unfortunately, due to a layoff, Joe was…

On September 16, 2018, Roberto Reyes was told he was being watched by the Cuban government for expressing his opinions freely online. He knew what this meant, and he knew he had to leave. He had been taken prisoner for…

Marvin Harvey earned his bachelor’s degree in business in 2012, and worked in the accounting and finance field through 2017. However, that very same year, Marvin was laid off. This unexpected career hiccup didn’t faze Marvin one bit. He took…

Jason Scerena graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art with a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Art and Animation in 2008. Upon graduation, he quickly began an internship with a corporation that closed just as quickly because the economic recession was…

Ryan Nelson was ready to make a career change, but was uncertain about what type of career path he would pursue. Ryan worked in in the financial trading sector for more than two decades, but the industry declined and he…