William Newel | Asher College

​In August of 2014 William found himself in the middle of rioting and tension in Ferguson, Missouri. This was particularly disturbing because Ferguson was his home town. The place where he had grown up with his mom and brothers and sisters. He was considered a success in his community, running a well-known barber shop for several years. One angry and violent night that all came crashing down as William’s shop got caught in the crossfire and was inadvertently burned to the ground. Dazed and disillusioned William decided he needed a change and moved to Sacramento California.

One day, he was literally driving up and down streets unknown to him, just trying to see what Sacramento might be able to offer him. He ended up in the lobby of Asher College.

He was interested in IT, but the timing wasn’t right. I referred to some friends of mine who own a barbershop and assured him we would be here when he was ready.

Fast forward one year. When William walked into our lobby this time, he was different man. He was confident, joyful and ready to start school. Sacramento was no longer a foreign place, but actually home. He had remembered that Asher College had made him feel welcome at a time when he felt like a stranger. He met with one of our admissions advisors and soon he was enrolled in our Computer Specialist and Network Technology Associates Degree Program.

And now for the happy ending. William Newell earned his Applied Associates Degree in Computer Science and Network Technology in June of 2017. Before he even graduated he started his IT career as an Apple Care Advisor. Just recently William was hired as an IT Supervisor for PG&E.