Goodwill Program:  Computer Programmer Training 

"My main reason for coming back to Goodwill was to tell everyone how Goodwill’s Computer Programmer Training changed my life."

Fall is the season for homecomings, when alumni from across the country flock to their North Carolina alma maters to touch base with old friends, former teachers, and to reflect on how far they’ve come since graduation.

On a Friday in November, Keith, an IT professional and president of a successful consulting firm in Indianapolis, did just that.  However, Keith’s alma mater is not a major university, but Goodwill Industries in Charlotte, where he received the training that has made him very successful.

At 17, Keith had a scholarship to play football with NC A&T State University.  Then, a car accident changed everything.  Not only were his dreams of playing college football gone, but he faced life in a wheelchair.

Keith approached his new challenge with his usual enthusiasm and dedication.  “I was already in good shape, so physical therapy went really well,” Keith said.  Keith continued his education at the community college near his home, but wanted more of a challenge and a way to become financially independent.

Keith’s counselor at the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation told him about Goodwill’s new Computer Programmer Training (CPT) in Charlotte.   “My counselor warned me that CPT was a rigorous, 12-month course that would take a lot of dedication and discipline, but at the end of a year, I’d be trained in a well-paying field.  It sounded just what I was looking for, so I decided to check it out,” Keith said.

Keith was accepted as a member of the 1987 CPT class and moved to Charlotte.   The NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation assisted him with housing and transportation.  Keith excelled in the program and since graduation, he has never looked back.

His career has led him to employment with some of the country’s largest firms in Charlotte, Raleigh, Washington, DC and Indianapolis.  Over the past 15 years, Keith became a specialist in working with the intelligence community.  In 2001, he founded RYAN Consulting Group, starting with two employees.  Since then, RYAN has grown to 50 employees with annual revenue in excess of $4 million.

On November 11, Keith returned to Goodwill to visit the place where his career began.  “I really enjoyed talking with old friends, seeing the new programs at Goodwill and I even felt a little nostalgic when I visited my former classroom,” Keith said.  “However, my main reason for coming back to Goodwill was to tell everyone how Goodwill’s Computer Programmer Training changed my life.”