Luis Calderon came to Hopeworks after receiving the disappointing news that he was not going to graduate high school. He struggled a lot throughout high school but it was never because of academic challenges. He had trouble showing up in the midst of the difficulties that were going on at home. He was devastated when he learned just three weeks before graduation that despite passing grades, he did not have enough credits to get his diploma and would have to repeat his senior year of high school. Coming to Hopeworks was an opportunity for him to start fresh and get his GED. He had no intention of returning back to high school and found excitement in being able to learn more about coding while working toward earning his high school diploma. In just two months, Luis not only passed all five sections of the HiSet, earning him his diploma, but also completed the web design training at Hopeworks.
When asked what advice he would give to others, he says “no matter the troubles life throws at you, always push on and that is what I will do for the future.” Being at Hopeworks helped Luis learn to push forward despite his setbacks. Luis plans to enroll in college and study computer programming and engineering.
In this series, Michelle Cheang, director of Catalyze, sat down with alumni and current participants of Catalyze-supported career-connected learning programs. Through in-depth conversations, Michelle and the learners discuss their experiences, growth and career goals. In the following videos, we'll hear directly from EJ Garcia, a learner at Hopeworks, about how he has developed his career […]
This episode of The Water Online Show focuses on the water industry's workforce shortage. Hopeworks, a training organization, is addressing this challenge by partnering with utilities like American Water. Hopeworks identifies employer needs, trains young professionals, and places them in well-suited roles. This innovative approach is helping to bridge the skills gap and ensure a […]
Grace Manning leads a program helping land young professionals work at companies like Subaru. Grace Manning is director of employer and alumni relations at Hopeworks, a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia and South New Jersey, offering workforce development programs to young adults. Through training programs, paid internships, and placement services with local employers, Hopeworks helps young, diverse […]
