Luis Turns Disappointment into Achievement!

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.  

 

 

 

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Headlined by Truist Bank, the event removed access barriers to career readiness, connecting Camden, NJ – March 16, 2026 – On Thursday, March 12, Hopeworks, a social enterprise dedicated toempowering young adults to establish living wage careers, hosted its third annual HOPE Summit at theRutgers Camden Campus Center. Headlined by sponsor Truist Bank, the summit […]

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808 Market St.,
Camden, NJ 08102
(856) 365-4673
Hopeworks is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization, EIN: 31-1660671.
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