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.
Hopeworks, the Camden-based nonprofit that propels young adults ages 17 to 27 into long-term, living-wage careers, held its annual Spring Pitch Competition on April 13 at the organization’s headquarters. The competition was offered to Hopeworks trainees, interns and alumni to pitch their business ideas and services to a panel of esteemed judges, for the opportunity […]
Advisory and accounting firm CLM Advisors made a charitable donation to the Washington Township Police k-9 Unit, which will offset the costs of purchasing, training and caring for additional dogs. Read our segment in the southjerseybiz.net article here or visit the site for the full digital article here.
Reflecting on the immense success of our 2024 HOPE Summit fills us with gratitude and inspiration! From the educational workshops, to the insightful panel discussions, free headshots for all who attended, and ending the event with a Pathways fair connecting young adults with educational and career resources. The fair included vendors such as Rutgers, Teach […]
