“Technology is the wave of the future, so during the pandemic I embraced the challenge of learning something I have absolutely no background in. Technology is everywhere.”
In 2015, when Luisa and her husband first arrived in the United States, her English was limited.
“My only experience was with writing a few documents to complete my college degree, so I searched for English classes. The New York Public Library offered a class, so I participated, and then needed more of a challenge, so when a friend told me about Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) program, a few years later, I enrolled. My English significantly improved.”
During the fall of 2019, Luisa was referred to the Manhattan EOC’s ATTAIN Lab by a BMCC instructor.
“I wanted to learn more about Technology, but I had no experience in that area – my background is in Business Administration and Customer Service, but I knew it was an opportunity.”
In a matter of months after enrolling, Luisa received her certifications in Microsoft® Office Suite, Microsoft 365 Fundamentals, and QuickBooks®.
“The program was well organized and close to home. That was key for me. In addition, Mr. Ashish (Satyabhashak) was the cheerleader I needed to keep me motivated as I studied to better understand cloud computing. He has so much experience.”
“This program is a great opportunity to grow and learn. Many professionals are there to support you with their knowledge and the tools you need. I also believe that if you think you’re too old to return to school, you’ll discover that age is not an obstacle. In the end, you’ll be proud of what you’ve achieved.”
Luisa is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Information Technology Administration at Universidad Tecmilenio (UTM) online. She says that with her new Cloud Computing skills, she now has a clear perspective on storing and accessing data and programs over the internet. She looks forward to earning a certification in Azure Fundamentals, a cloud computing Microsoft service.
“It doesn’t matter where I go or what field I enter, one thing I’m certain of is that technology will always be at the forefront.”