Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) is a time to recognize the achievements, societal and technological contributions of Hispanic Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. This mid-month celebration coincides with the national independence days of many Latin American countries. In this issue, we spotlight a Hispanic alumnus, Oscar Sosa. His story exemplifies the transformative effect of our program--even during a pandemic!

Oscar Sosa
System Administrator, Mind Gym

Leveraging Strong Networks, to Advance in Tech Despite Navigating a Global Pandemic

Although Oscar had pursued technical training, he had difficulty securing employment within the field, especially once the pandemic hit. Introduced to NPower by a close friend, Oscar felt this was the right next move to launch a career. Oscar landed an internship at The New York Foundling, and then to Classroom Tech Support at Columbia Law School. Through the support of the NPower alumni network, Oscar was referred to his current employer, Mind Gym where he is now Desktop Support System Administrator and has increased his salary by 79% since joining NPower. While others around him were navigating securing employment throughout the pandemic, because of the skills and support Oscar obtained through NPower and his dedication he has grown in his tech career and is excited about his future and for what is ahead.

“ NPower has not only taught me technical skills and IT concepts, but many other subjects as well. I learned about finances, networking, creating resumes, and how to efficiently work in a team environment. The NPower staff are extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and supportive in helping their students succeed. Thanks to NPower, I look forward to using what I have learned to become a great asset in the technology world. ”

Global Citizen/WWT

World Wide Technology (WWT) has been a long time supporter of NPower. Beyond annual funding and board stewardship, they have hired 45 NPower graduates and been instrumental in building out our DOL apprenticeship initiative. This year, WWT is a sponsor of the Global Citizen Live Festival and is spotlighting NPower as their charity of choice to demonstrate their commitment to equity and justice. During the festival, which will live stream on Saturday, September 25th, you will hear from board member Matt Horner, and learn about Yahaira Moore’s story. She is a young mother who overcame adversity and has been thriving at WWT for the past six years. We are deeply grateful for WWT’s aligned commitment of #justiceforall.

Watch Yahaira's Story ›

Updates From Across the Country:

NPower Match

Seeking Mentors for the Next Generation of Tech Leaders

You can impact the life of an NPower student through mentorship. As an NPowerMATCH mentor, you’ll guide early career professionals in areas such as career readiness, professional personal branding, leadership skills, financial education, ethical self-promotion and more.

“I've found that one of the best ways to keep my skills sharp is to help others develop them. If you're looking to stay on top of your game and help others achieve their goals, then you need to sign up as a mentor with NPower. You won't regret it!”

Robert Elliot,

Senior Client Partner, Globant

Apply to Be a Mentor ›

SIM Partnership

We are honored to be a national alliance beneficiary of the SIM Foundation and thrilled to partner with the organization to support our trainees in creating a pathway to gainful employment in the tech industry. Their philanthropy is an example of how focused and mission-aligned organizations can impact change by creating opportunities for under-resourced communities and populations that are most in need, but often overlooked.

Learn more about SIM Foundation’s work and how you can
become a Friend of the Foundation:
foundation.simnet.org

IT Support Specialist Program

*Classes Begin October 18*

In partnership with Microsoft, the intermediate It Support Specialist program will serve young adults, veterans, Transitioning Service Members and military spouses in the Los Angeles County area with free training in the basics of IT, networking, troubleshooting and infrastructure, as well as job placement assistance, social support and opportunities to earn these industry-recognized certifications: Microsoft Certified 365 & Azure Fundamentals, CompTIA A+, credentials & Google IT Support.

Know a young adult, veteran or Transitioning Service
Member in the Los Angeles area?
Direct them here: npower.org/apply/it-support-specialist/

North TX Giving Day

North Texas Giving
Day is Today!

Nearly 50% of transitioning military veterans don’t have a job lined up after ending their service. We are actively working to reduce this number by creating pathways to viable careers in technology. With your North Texas Giving Day donation, we can continue to serve unemployed and low-income veterans in the DFW area.