| 2019 Numbers | Fall 2019 Graduation | Donor Thank You |
Now that 2020 is here, we find the time is appropriate to bring you up to speed. Tech901 has been as busy as ever since our mid-year update. The later half of 2019 saw plenty of growth, grads, and gratitude. We're also really excited about the progress made over the last year.
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Fall 2019 Graduation
Four years after celebrating their first graduation in a small classroom with 12 students, Tech901 honored its 302 graduates for the fall 2019 training session on Thursday, December 19th at the Crosstown Theater.
“This year of growth is about opportunity for the city and its workforce, but tonight, it’s also an opportunity for you and your careers,” Executive Director Robert Montague said during the ceremony.
“Maybe quite a few of you have been told in the past that a tech career and the rewards of a tech career were not available to you. Tonight is about you having a different song to sing because it’s not 'you can do it', it’s 'I did it'. We’re proud of you.”
Keynote Speaker Mayor Jim Strickland further congratulated graduates for continuing their education to better their lives as well as to help grow the Memphis economy.
“Whether it’s continuing your educational journey or focusing on your family or your job, the importance of maintaining focus on your goals and how to achieve them cannot be overstated,” Strickland said. “This is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning, of personal growth and of service to others.”
Alumna Regina Davis works in the IT Department for Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare and came to Tech901 to become a more valuable member of her team thanks to her new certifications in the IT Foundations and IT project courses.
“Ideally, I would have gotten my certifications when I went through my first degree; however, when you’re working two and three jobs to get through school and raising teenagers, you don’t have money or time for the certs,” Davis said. “(Tech901) gave me all the handholding to get me through the testing. I have extreme test anxiety. I got the confidence I needed to get through the certification without panicking, and I got a lot of clarification that you don’t get to ask while you’re taking the classes in college.”
Davis and fellow alumnus Brandon King credited the overall Tech901 environment to their continued return for more courses. Davis said though all of her classes have been taught by instructor Trey McGinnis, all the instructors were happy to help after classes with additional questions as well as soothe test anxiety before the certification exams.
“I love the environment. I love the teachers, I love how hands on everybody is,” King said, “I love how they put the whole package together, and it makes me want to come back.” King was awarded the IT Professional award during the ceremony for his completion of four courses.
A Thank You to Our Donors
A special thanks to all Tech901 contributors from Executive Director, Robert Montague
As one year ends and the next begins, it may seem an obvious choice to show gratitude to Tech901's supporters. However, we at Tech901 pride ourselves in showing gratitude whenever appropriate, and I believe the end of a year of successes- and the beginning of a year of even more- is perhaps the best chance for us to reflect back on those who made it possible.
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Individual Donors
There are also numerous individual donors for whom we are so grateful for your charity to Tech901. You know who you are! We are particularly thankful to those who participated in our #Giving Tuesday 2019 campaign.
2020 is on the horizon, and as we ready ourselves for our 5 year anniversary, we reflect back on our successes so far. The successes of our students, and of the growing technology sector in Memphis is dependent not only on their tenacity, but upon the support of the community.
Thank you, our community, for providing that support.
Robert Montague, Executive Director
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