Success Story 2

Ashley Brooks

Persevere Graduate

Web Development

Community Involvment

Before Persevere, my life was in a very dark and unmanageable place. I was sentenced to five years in Perryville State Prison, had lost custody of my three kids, and was struggling with a drug addiction I believed I would never escape. When I arrived at Perryville, I felt like I had lost everything—my freedom, my family, and my direction in life. I knew I had hit rock bottom and decided I needed to use that time to start turning my life around.

While incarcerated, I heard about the Persevere coding program. Even though I had no experience with web development or coding, I decided to sign up. That decision changed everything. I began looking forward to class each day and, for the first time in a long time, felt hopeful about my future.

After graduating and being released, I joined the OJT program and gained real-world experience as a developer. Today, my life looks completely different. I’m building a future I’m proud of and showing my kids that change is possible. Persevere gave me the opportunity to rebuild my life and prove to myself that my past does not define my future.