Unique Kimbrough worked in many jobs throughout her life including cleaning, concessions, and customer service. Although she had a strong set of soft skills and experience at the age of 26, she had yet to feel strongly about solidifying a career path in any specific industry. From a very young age, Unique showed special talent when working on computers. Although she was good at tech, she never really aspired toward a career in Information Technology. “I just didn’t see it as a real career option until I saw other people succeeding and realized, wait—I can do this too!” Unique attended orientation at National Able Network and her journey to a life-long and thriving career began.  

While enrolled at National Able Network, she learned about all the career and training opportunities available. At first, I thought it was too good to be true,” says Unique, “But after talking with my career coach, Tricia Jack, I realized this was the real deal. She was honest, encouraging, and truly believed in me—and that made me want to believe in myself.” 

Unique decided to fully commit to her passion: IT! She enrolled in IT Career Lab and immediately began training to earn her Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. But the journey wasn’t easy. “I failed the test multiple times,” Unique says, “It was hard. I didn’t have a lot of support at home, but my career coach and IT Career Lab instructor never gave up on me…they gave me the confidence to keep going…they all believed in me—especially when I didn’t fully believe in myself.”  

Unique passed the CCNA and earned a Paid Work Experience (PWE) opportunity at National Able Network, which gave her hands-on experience and confidence to enter the IT industry full-time. Currently, Unique is working full-time as a Field IT technician at Rush University Medical Center. She says, “This is the most growth I’ve ever felt in a job. I feel like I’m building something meaningful for myself.” 

Her message to others considering a career in IT? “Don’t give up. Keep moving forward. Even if you fail at first, study harder and try again. If you’re willing to work for it, you’ll get there.” 

Congratulations, Unique!