Transforming their Trajectories: Sisters Monique & Lexi Take Leaps of Faith
I told Lexi, "This program will change the trajectory of your life. Just commit to nine months, and then if you don't like it, you can always go back home."
Born and raised in Arizona, sisters Monique and Lexi discovered they had a mutual passion for technology, but only after getting their associate's degrees in different fields.
“I honestly did not know what I wanted to do," said Monique. "I think I switched my major four times. After high school, I went to community college, but I still didn't know what to do.
Undecided about a career and still in her twenties, Monique took a leap of faith and left Arizona to pursue her dream of living in Atlanta. She took a physically demanding job working 10-hour shifts as an esthetician until a friend changed the course of her career.
"He asked me, 'Is this what you want to do?' And I told him, 'Honestly, no. I want to get into tech.' And that's when he told me about this program at City of Refuge."
Monique's interest in tech stemmed from her older brother, whose career is in data analytics. Her sister Lexi, who still attended community college in Arizona, was also starting to consider tech. But she, too, felt lost after applying for a position at Apple and not getting it.
Little did they know that COR’s Tech Transformation Academy would change everything.
“I had never wanted anything more than to live in Atlanta," said Monique. “And when I applied to the cyber program, I wanted nothing more than to be in the program. When I got the acceptance letter from City of Refuge, I was at work, and I remember crying. I knew it would change my life.”
After witnessing the change in her sister, Lexi took a leap of faith and moved in with Monique in Atlanta to join the next cyber cohort. Despite the challenge of living in a new city and learning a new craft, both sisters earned all three certifications offered in their respective cohorts and graduated with flying colors.
Today, Monique is working for Capgemini in its service to Cox Enterprises as a Security Analyst, and Lexi just landed a Junior GRC Analyst role with Intercontinental Exchange, a Fortune 500 company.
“We had no technical backgrounds, and now look at where we're at,” said Lexi. “I want to show girls who look like me or have similar stories that they can do it, too. I just think there needs to be better representation for women in tech of all different backgrounds. There's room for all of us.”
After all of their hard work, risks taken, and victories won, both Lexi and Monique attribute their success to their faith.
“Real lives are changing from this program,” said Monique. “Just being here on campus made us realize how blessed we are in our own lives. Without Jesus, we would not have been able to go through half of what we went through."
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