Esteban Bernal during his time in the NPower program
A Window of Opportunity
Guardian Life: Transforming Lives Through Volunteerism
While NPower’s mission is to provide opportunities for individuals to gain industry-level tech certifications and experience, professional development is an integral step toward the reinvention many of our students seek.
Through our partnership with Guardian, we afford our students meaningful opportunities to develop as future professionals. These include hands-on experiences such as resume building and mock interview workshops led by volunteers from Guardian, who in turn inspire confidence among participants as they pursue their career goals.
Not only are the efforts successful with students like Esteban Bernal, a recent NPower graduate – they also serve as unique launchpads toward great opportunities. Esteban’s potential caught the attention of Tara Fosbre, Vice President and Head of Technology Innovation Programs at Guardian, even in his earliest days with the program.
“Esteban was one of several students that I met with and coached, and I was just so impressed by him on the spot,” Tara said. “He had very unique qualifications in addition to his drive and motivation. He knew exactly what he wanted to ask, what he wanted out of that session and simply stood out from the rest.”
The two remained connected, and Esteban opened up about a discouraging experience searching for work – until that search led him to NPower.
“Eventually, I was just trying to find any job I could get while I built out my IT skills, and then I came across an advertisement with NPower,” said Esteban. “I gave it my all, and while I was going through my NPower journey, I came to realize that you have to give every step 110%; you must treat even the mock interviews as if they are the real deal.”
His own journey exemplifies why even the learning environment can lead to big opportunities; it was a mock interview between Esteban and Tara that led to the job offer he had long sought. From taking our New York Tech Fundamentals course to serving as a Security Architecture Technician at Guardian, Esteban’s story proves that anything is possible such as a job with Guardian, which supports the next generation of innovators.
“Guardian is proud to inspire well-being in all areas of life, which include the professional, economic, and life outcomes of people across our communities,” said Francine Chew, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Guardian. “We’re fortunate to have world-class talent – just like Tara and now Esteban – who not only foster a culture of volunteerism and purpose, but also seize such moments of impact to change each life we touch for the better.”
