Current trainee Zachary Berry, joined Hopeworks in December of 2018. When he joined Hopeworks, he initially had doubts about the program and felt that the computer training would be overwhelming for him. He says that his real motivation for coming here was to receive his High School Diploma equivalency and not too soon after starting the program, he did just that! After weeks of studying and preparing for the HiSET test (An alternative for GED), Zach was able to pass the test and will be receiving his diploma shortly. Zachary says that his academic success coaches went above and beyond to help him prepare for the exam in subjects such as reading and writing, math, social studies, and language arts. Zach admitted that although the test itself was not too difficult, he had some challenges along the way including having to retake certain sections and having to balance studying for the test, doing the training, and caring for his newborn son.
When asked how he felt about passing the exam, he said “I was so excited. It was a goal of mine for five years now. I had doubts that I would ever get it, but I ran into the right people in and outside of Hopeworks and they pushed me to complete it.”
Now that he has completed his biggest goal, Zach says that his next steps are to enhance his interview skills, build credit, and be a good role model to his son. Along with this, his long term goals are to be mentally focused and to be stable in life and to be consistent. Careerwise he is in the process of interviewing for an externship at a Camden business, but would ultimately like to do an apprenticeship as a union carpenter. Although, he added, he would be happy with anything that would allow him to stay connected to Hopeworks.
The program’s founder has been trying to regain access to the STEM education materials, with the goal of transferring them to youth nonprofit Hopeworks. When global tech organization CompTIA restructured at the end of last year, it quietly dissolved its social impact arm, CompTIA Spark. The dissolution, which has not been previously reported, came alongside […]
If federal student aid is disrupted, bootcamps could go mainstream. If the Department of Education ceases to exist as planned, college financial aid could potentially face disruption for millions of current and incoming college students. The Trump administration’s ongoing dismantling of the Department of Education, also known as the DOE, could spur a shift away from traditional four-year […]
The recent Buy Camden 1st event at The Campbell’s Company Headquarters brought together procurement professionals to promote local purchasing and drive economic empowerment in Camden. A strong collaboration between The City of Camden, Mayor Vic Carstarphen, The Campbell’s Company, LAEDA, and DiLorenzo Davis Consulting, LLC was on display to advance this important mission. Our web team is proud to have played […]
