Man goes from eviction notices to doubling income after IT training
Companies increasingly depend heavily on certified IT engineers. That growing demand, along with training, helped one man make a major life comeback from eviction to excelling.
At the MyComputerCareer training center in Raleigh, a student's new certification is cause for celebration.
It means new opportunity.
"We look to change lives, and I think that has been a constant,” said Josh Davies, executive director of student services.
Four years ago, Ronald Barthelus needed a life change.
“You know, life gets in the way,” Barthelus said. “You're young; you don't make all the right decisions.”
After moving his family to Raleigh, odd jobs just didn't pay the bills.
Financial aid allowed him to start information technology training.
He shared the news with his father, who died suddenly afterward.
“He was just like, ‘Man, you just got to finish it. That's great — that's awesome.’
That fed his motivation to achieve certification and to get him into an IT job.
Davies said as companies grow, the demand for IT engineers continues to grow.
They're even hiring trained "hackers" to find vulnerabilities in their own computer networks.
Barthelus still had to find jobs to support his family.
It sapped his energy. He took naps in his car before classes.
“There were times I wanted to quit,” he said.
It was the memory of his father that kept him on track.
His wife and kids noticed.
“When they actually see that you're sacrificing — you're not going places, you're turning off the television, you're studying,” Barthelus said, “because I didn't want them to see that I didn't finish the program."
It wasn't easy, he said, but all that effort paid off.
“I went from seeing eviction notices to doubling my income and buying new vehicles and getting ready to buy a house,” Barthelus said.
