From Second Chances to Software, Coding Is Rewriting Lives

When Brian Peret sits in front of a classroom of new students at CodeBoxx Academy, he doesn’t see aspiring programmers. He sees people standing at the edge of possibility.

Peret, now Director of CodeBoxx Academy, rebuilt his own life after incarceration through the same skill he now teaches: computer coding. “I know what it feels like to start over with nothing but a laptop and a little belief,” he says. “That’s why I show up every day, because someone did that for me. I wasn’t trying to break into tech. I was just trying to build a better life. But once I saw what was possible, I knew I had to help others do the same.”

That belief became the foundation of CodeBoxx Academy, a 16-week intensive program that equips students with the technical and professional skills to transition into new careers in technology. The program provides both in-person and online learning, scholarships, and even laptops for those who need them, lowering barriers for people often left behind by the traditional education system.

Coding a New Beginning

Across the U.S., programs like CodeBoxx are helping expand the tech workforce while offering real second chances. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in computer and information technology occupations will grow 13% by 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 377,500 new jobs over the decade. Yet access to those opportunities remains unequal.

Peret’s classroom reflects that gap and the effort to close it. Many of his students are single parents, veterans, or individuals rebuilding their lives after incarceration or homelessness. The average student at CodeBoxx doesn’t come from Silicon Valley privilege. They come from persistence.

“This work is about more than code. It’s about restoring confidence, rebuilding futures, and reminding people there’s still a path forward,” Peret says.

The program’s model focuses on mentorship and accountability. Students work through real business simulations rather than theoretical lessons, learning how to think like software developers, collaborate in teams, and meet deadlines. Graduates emerge not only job-ready but career-minded, prepared to contribute immediately in fields like web development, software engineering, and IT project management.

Breaking Down Barriers

While many coding bootcamps charge high tuition or cater to people already working in tech, CodeBoxx was designed with accessibility in mind. The academy offers need-based scholarships, provides equipment, and ensures that graduates connect with hiring partners. For those juggling family responsibilities or full-time jobs, remote participation offers a lifeline.

Peret knows the stakes. His own path into technology began out of necessity, not ambition. Learning to code gave him not only a skill but a sense of agency, a way to rebuild trust in himself. “Someone did that for me,” he says simply. “Now I get to do it for them.”

That cycle of mentorship has become one of CodeBoxx’s defining features. Alumni frequently return as mentors or instructors, guiding new students through the same fears and breakthroughs they once faced. It’s a feedback loop of empowerment, where experience becomes expertise and failure becomes fuel.

Tech as a Second Language

In a time when automation and artificial intelligence dominate headlines, the human side of technology often gets lost. Peret’s work reminds us that tech literacy isn’t just about career growth. It’s about inclusion.

For someone who’s been written off, learning to code can mean more than mastering Python or JavaScript. It’s a tangible way to rewrite one’s own story. Programs like CodeBoxx, and leaders like Peret, show that the technology industry’s greatest innovation may not be the next algorithm, but the people who find a future in building it.

Every week, new students walk through the doors or log in from across the country, ready to begin their 16-week transformation. For many, it’s the first step toward stability, dignity, and purpose.

And for Peret, each laptop opened in that classroom is proof of what’s possible when opportunity meets belief.

“This work is about restoring confidence, rebuilding futures, and reminding people there’s still a path forward,” he says again, as if to underline his mission.

Because sometimes, the hardest program to write isn’t in code. It’s the one that rewires a life.

The post From Second Chances to Software, Coding Is Rewriting Lives appeared first on StreetWise Journal.

Reference: https://www.blogarama.com/finance-blogs/1353878-streetwise-journal-blog/71146294-from-second-chances-software-coding-rewriting-lives