Street Tech was a godsend! I had gone to school to learn computer repair and networking but I couldn't find a job willing to let me flex my newly acquired skills. I would often look at job postings on the internet. Many of them were seeking potential candidates with A+ Certification. Researching the cost of getting the certification cast a doubtful outlook on my future. The price of testing is VERY expensive. I cast my plans to the side and let life take over. Life took over, indeed. Unemployed and disgruntled, I soon began walking the streets going door-to-door trying to advertise and repair for residential customers. Still trying to figure out how to get some credentials under my belt. As fate would have it, I ended up advertising to someone who referred me to an old classmate of Director Joe McKinley. This classmate told me that Joe might help me get into the market. No truer words had been spoken. Soon, I was signing up for Street Tech's A+ Certification class. Street Tech has a very clean facility. Professional staff, an obviously VERY affordable program for people who need a second chance and a formidable success rate. It's no wonder they've made it this far. I can come in and use resources at reasonable times and get a pep talk from the staff almost anytime. As far as weaknesses, Street Tech is hindered by a lack of updated resources, no access to the latest OSes like Vista, Red Hat Linux, Server 2003, etc. Many machines are kindly donated but they are not the latest as the market changes rapidly. Licensed software is also difficult and expensive to acquire. Our last class had to dig in and split the cost of valuable testing software that was needed. The cost of human resources has also taken a small toll on poor Street Tech. Although very efficient, very punctual, very professional and very knowledgeable, the staff at Street Tech cannot live on bread alone. It has been evidenced by several of my colleagues who stayed to take classes beyond our A+ certification that the quality of the teaching staff had been significantly reduced due to budget constraints. Many of my colleagues, like myself, are from all parts of the community. We are disadvantaged, low income, pregnant, on parole, and hungry. We are always looking for hope. We are looking for that brief glimpse of sunlight on the horizon. Street Tech is that light. Please endorse Street Tech and help bring more light over that horizon.