Growing Up Fast

Gabriela started working at the age of 15 in a call center, helping her single mother pay bills and support two younger brothers. College wasn’t an option, she couldn’t afford it. Come what may, she had to support her family from a young age. 

For five years, she found work as an actress in children’s theater, which she enjoyed, until the pandemic hit. Her theater company went bankrupt. All acting jobs disappeared. With her family depending on her income, she had no choice but return to call center work. “Working in a call center again was the lowest point in my entire life,” she reflects. “I was depressed. I was completely lost. I didn’t have any perspective, didn’t have any dreams.”

Finding Her Agency

Unwilling to accept her fate, Gabriela began researching industries and professions she could learn and turn into a career. Technology stood out for one crucial reason: “It was actually the only field that grew during the pandemic.” But self-doubt gave her pause. She’d never been good at math or computers.

When she found Generation, she found a counterbalance to her limiting beliefs: “You don’t need any experience, you don’t need to be good in anything, we’re going to teach you.” She had tried online courses and realized she needed more guidance, exactly what Generation was offering. With the program, she knew she could learn from scratch with full support.

“They believed in me before I even believed in myself,” she shared. 

Everything Changed

Near the end of the course, the job opportunities started flowing, thanks to Generation’s wide network of partners. Despite thinking she wouldn’t get hired, “there are people with more experience than me,” Gaby applied anyway. Three interviews later, she was hired.

One month after graduation, Gabriela had stable employment for the first time in her life. She could pay rent, support her family as needed, and still have enough money saved for her own goals and dreams. She was able to enroll in college, and will graduate with a degree in information technology. 

She dreams of living in Europe, traveling to Asia, goals that now feel achievable through her tech career.

“When I found Generation, everything changed,” she says. “Now I know that if I want to set my mind to something, I can do it. I can see that there is a way.”