Meet Guadalupe

Guadalupe is a veteran of the United States Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom during the Global War on Terrorism. After completing his service, Guadalupe returned home to Ontario where he experienced certain, unexpected struggles with transitioning from active duty military service to civilian sector. The transition included a period of homelessness while he was living in a camper shell parked on a friend’s awn. Like other veterans with similar background, he had difficulty with coping to civilian life during his transition, as he tried dealing with the medical and mental health issues incurred from his military service. He tried working several jobs, but he has struggled with securing and retaining employment for any substantial period of time until most recently.  

Guadalupe is currently a community college student at Treasure Valley Community College working toward an Associate’s degree in Cyber Security and Network Administration. He has secured part-time employment on campus as an IT Help Desk Technician. He is now housed in a small but affordable apartment where he can have some personal space.  

While he is able to complete a lot of his assignments at the campus computer labs, there are still instances where he is unable to use the labs due to limited hours and restricted access due to COVID-19 protocols. With a laptop computer with internet and technical support through the Digital Inclusion Service Pilot Project, he will be able to complete all of his online classes and homework assignments from home. This is a tremendous benefit that can greatly improve the probability of his success in school. When he finishes his training, he will be considerably more  marketable to employers in the information technology industry.