After serving in the U.S. Navy for eight years, Sheldon Simmons was ready to make a change. For many veterans, transitioning back into civilian life is incredibly difficult, and Sheldon struggled to reintegrate and to make ends meet. He began selling blood and plasma. He saw that the tech industry was on the rise and knew he needed to find a pathway to enter this industry in order to change his life and be successful. Sheldon enrolled in a year long course to learn Java, hopeful that this would help kick off his career. Unfortunately, he struggled to find employment after the course ended and was discouraged thinking that he had wasted time and money in an effort to improve his life.