Success Story 1

Mark Clark

Mark Clark once had what many people would consider the perfect life in Scottsdale, Arizona—a successful career as a personal trainer, a loving family, and a lifestyle others admired. But when his partner’s drug addiction pulled him into substance abuse and crime, everything began to fall apart. Eventually, Mark was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. While incarcerated, Mark discovered the Persevere coding program. Even though he had no background in technology, he committed himself to learning to code. The program gave him not only valuable technical skills but also a renewed sense of purpose during one of the hardest times in his life.

After his release in 2021, Mark reconnected with Persevere founder Sean Hosman, which led to an opportunity as a web developer at Banyan Labs. From there, Mark continued to grow professionally and eventually became Director of Business Development.

Mark later earned an engineering apprenticeship with Gusto through the Next Chapter Project. His journey shows how determination, opportunity, and support can transform a life and open doors to a brighter future.