In 2019, Ismail Fofana was hit by a truck while he was crossing a street in Queens. His injuries cost him his job, destroying the progress he had made working his way up from an immigrant dishwasher who spoke no English to a manager of a restaurant. He was 30 years old at the time, with a newborn daughter.
Six years later, he is thriving as a software engineer at Accenture, a consulting firm. Mr. Fofana credits his comeback to Per Scholas, a national nonprofit that prepares low-income people for technology careers.
After a yearslong recovery, Mr. Fofana tried to return to a restaurant job but found it too physically demanding. He needed to change careers. He had long been interested in technology. As a boy in Paris, he fixed a broken computer. But without a degree in computer science, he had assumed a career in tech was out of reach. One day he did an internet search for “free tech boot camp.” The Per Scholas website came up first, advertising a no-cost 15-week intensive program on coding and cybersecurity, with no prior experience necessary. “At first I was like, this has got to be a scam,” he said.
Mr. Fofana enrolled in the program in November 2023 and began taking online classes at his kitchen table while keeping one eye on his daughter running around the apartment. His wife at the time worked as a manager in a retail store and supported the family while he studied. The classes lasted eight hours each day, plus a few hours of homework. He found it challenging. He was learning coding from scratch, and the courses included difficult math. After class, his instructor would stay on calls with Mr. Fofana for individual help.
Per Scholas staff members also gave Mr. Fofana tangible career advice. They helped him write his résumé and prepare for interviews. They organized a networking event where he learned about a paid software engineering apprenticeship. He was accepted into the program and was placed at Accenture in April 2024, shortly after he graduated from the Per Scholas program. This past October the company hired him full time.
“I’m learning new technology every day,” he said. “I’m growing into a career.” His engineering salary allows him to support his daughter and send money to family members in West Africa.
Per Scholas has helped over 30,000 people break into careers in tech, about half of whom never graduated from college. “Talent is everywhere in this world, but opportunity is not,” Mr. Fofana said. Contributions to Per Scholas through The New York Times Communities Fund help bridge the gap.
An $850 donation covers the cost of all essential materials, like textbooks and certification exam fees, for a Per Scholas student.
You can learn more about the beneficiary organizations and donate at nytcommunitiesfund.org. To donate by check, please make your check payable to The New York Times Communities Fund and send it to P.O. Box 5193, New York, N.Y. 10087.
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