A Pennsylvania native, TeeJay moved to Denver for a change in scenery. Before making the transition, he had been working at a ski resort as a customer service representative. He says the final decision to leave was feeling like he needed to “take better care of himself as a person and as a man.” He hoped the change would help him get closer to the person he wants to become. 

TeeJay grew up in Tobyhanna, PA and as a child of the 90s, had always been fascinated by the developments of technology and computers. He had even studied coding while he was in school but ultimately decided that he wanted a career involving more creative freedom. Eventually, TeeJay found a strong interest and place in the world of communications. He graduated with a BA in communications from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. 

When he finally made the move to Denver, he found a job at Denver International Airport where he worked as a customer service rep, meeting and connecting all sorts of people with the resources they needed to enjoy their traveling experience. When the pandemic hit and airlines began shutting down, TeeJay took the opportunity to explore his interest in tech. He found out about ActivateWork through an Indeed posting and decided, on a whim, to apply. 

“It was kind of like working a 9–5 job,”  he says. By then, he had picked up a full time position at Target that could also support his full time school schedule with ActivateWork. 

Despite the challenge, TeeJay was confident that it was all part of his growth process. “The coaching actually helped a lot. Me and Dulcy have been best friends since day one.” Dulcy Booth directs the coaching program at ActivateWork, supporting learners through their training and in their first year in their new roles.

Through ActivateWork’s IT support course, TeeJay completed his CompTIA A+ certification in August 2021 after 15 weeks of tuition-free skills training. After graduating, ActivateWork connected him to an opportunity at Ardent Mills where he now works as an IT Support Analyst. Not only does he now have a full time, full benefit role with a thriving wage, but he has opened up the kind of opportunities to grow in his career that weren’t possible in customer service.

“I really wanted a company that could help me bolster my personal strengths.” TeeJay is also enrolled in Ardent Mill’s earn and learn program which gives new tech workers a chance to get a broad view of the different possibilities within tech. TeeJay says he hopes to be on the pathway to becoming an endpoint engineer. He sees great opportunities in the future and is happy to be with a company that encourages and supports his personal growth.