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thoughts for the computer.
“The advice I would give [future
students] is ask for help!” Green
emphasized. “The people and resources
City of Refuge has are phenomenal and it
is imperative that you take advantage of
them.”
Those resources include a variety of on-
campus support services.
“We have CityKids, which is child
care from 6 weeks old. We have youth
programs for after school. We have medical
services with Mercy Care. We provide
MARTA cards.” Ross said.
Corporate speakers, mentors, and
volunteers also provide students with
guidance, a professional network, and
sometimes a position.
“What we are trying to do is build
a corporate community of support,”
said Life Skills Trainer and Placement
coach, Ron Cofield, who recently retired
from PwC. “We started inviting chief
information officers, chief technology
officers, chief information security officers,
to come speak to our class, and usually
after they’ve visited, they kind of join the
team. I have high expectations for more
companies to join us.”
Cofield also facilitates one-on-one
mentorships, pairing students mostly with
IT professionals.
“I listened and provided resources and
experiential wisdom to help him achieve
his goal,” mentor Austin Edmonson, a
System Engineer at The Elome Depot,
shared about his mentee. “In addition, I
had him focus on his Linkedln wording,
profile picture, and connections. The
highlight was the phone call saying, ‘I got
my first job offer, thank you so much.’”
These connections help theT2
Academy students after graduation, as well.
“Before this program, my Linkedln
consisted of three people. Now, my
network consists of CEOs, CISOs,
managers, investors, and many inspiring
individuals. I can reach out anytime
because most have become mentors and
friends,” Kigwila shared.
You can findT2 Academy graduates,
working at companies such as Cox
Enterprises, Delta Airlines, EY, Genuine
Parts, Intercontinental Exchange, and
more.
“So far, I am extremely happy and
excited to be working. The entire process
of school, interviewing, and then landing
a role in the field is something I have still
not gotten over. It will really give you the
roadmap to success,” said coding graduate
Jeremy Steward, who now works for Revel
Systems.
Learn more at cityofrefugeatl. org, Facebook
and Instagram. Apply online or attend the
T2 Academy open house at City of Refuge
every Monday at 1 p.m. Interested employers
or mentors can contact Ron Cofield at
rcofield@cityofrefugeatl.org. QH
Cyber Security student Joel Kigwila
accepted an offer from Delta Airlines.
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