Capital IDEA Blog

Michael Rayos smiles in a collage of photos with his family and at work. He is a proud parent, grandparent, and loves his work.

Graduate Spotlight: Choices Big And Small

Pictured Top left: Michael with daughters, Andrea and Sofia and grandson Dakota Lee; top right: Michael with son Kevin; bottom left: Michael accepting check on behalf of Dream Come True Foundation; bottom right: Michael at work By Jeff Sanchez | JULY 8, 2022 Michael Rayos has made many choices in his life, both big and […]

Stephanie smiles brightly as a proud business owner and mother.

Graduate Spotlight: I Never Thought I Could Learn

By Jeff Sanchez | JUNE 1, 2022 You never know what you’re capable of until your back is against the wall. That’s what it took for Stephanie Berman to realize her full potential. In her thirties, Stephanie fled an abusive marriage with her life and her three children. Thrust into the role of sole provider, […]

Estrella poses proudly with the people who have supported her through college, her parents and her career navigator.

Graduate Spotlight: The Resilience To Keep Going

Pictured left: Estrella Saldana; top right: Estrella and her parents; bottom right: Estrella and her Career Navigator, Tonia Gooden By Jeff Sanchez | MAY 19, 2022 One of Estrella Saldana’s earliest memories is of bringing in groceries from the car. Her mom would place one small item in a grocery bag and let her drag […]

Gabrielle smiles brightly, holding up her diploma and her spirit award.

Graduate Spotlight: My Destiny Was Forever Changed

APRIL 8, 2022 Below is a transcript of Gabrielle’s Aurora Alworth Award acceptance speech at the 2022 Celebration of Achievements held virtually on March 1, 2022. Watch the slide presentation and listen to her speech here: YouTube Event Recording » Good afternoon, friends: My name is Gabrielle Michelle Shepherd, and I am a Registered Nurse […]

Leadership transition - we're welcoming a new Executive Director.

Press Release: Executive Director Announcements

From Left: Alyssia Palacios-Woods, Eva Rios-Lleverino, and Steve Jackobs. MARCH 30, 2022 Contact: Amy Silvey, Director of Development and Communications 512-485-9353, asilvey@capitalidea.org Upcoming Transitions at Capital IDEA Capital IDEA announces Alyssia Palacios-Woods as its new Executive Director, effective July 1. Founding Executive Director, Steve Jackobs, is stepping down on March 31 to devote himself to […]

Graduate Hammurabi sits with Capital IDEA alum Heriberto, guiding his job search on a computer.

Graduate Spotlight: There’s Always a Way

Hammurabi (left) sits down with Capital IDEA alum Heriberto Gonzales (right). By Jeff Sanchez | MARCH 15, 2022 Hammurabi Bueno doesn’t like sitting still. Landing a desk job was never a dream of his. “I’m a person that likes to be hands-on and build things.” Of the many careers sponsored by Capital IDEA, power technology […]

Our income eligibility has been adjusted for a limited time.

Expanded Income Eligibility for Travis County & City of Austin

FEBRUARY 21, 2022 BIG NEWS — Residents of Travis County and/or City of Austin have until September 2022 to qualify under our NEW income guidelines and secure their seats in our Career Expressway program. The Career Expressway offers full tuition assistance, textbooks, and more. Residents who apply and get accepted during this temporary extension period […]

Nurse graduates together at their pinning ceremony standing in front of Capital IDEA's banner that reads: "Be Your Own Hero"

Press Release: Retiring After More Than 23 Years of Service

JANUARY 13, 2022 Contact: Amy Silvey, Director of Development and Communications 512-485-9353, asilvey@capitalidea.org Capital IDEA announces the retirement of founding Executive Director, Steve Jackobs AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 13, 2022 – After serving as Capital IDEA’s Executive Director since 1998, Steve Jackobs announced his plan to retire in August of this year. “After more than […]

Proud nurse graduate Stephanie poses with her son, mother, and family member at her pinning ceremony.

Graduate Spotlight: She’s Here To Help

“Capital IDEA makes individuals stronger so that they can do the work that makes our community stronger.” – Stephanie Mbulu By Jeff Sanchez | DECEMBER 7, 2021 From early on, Stephanie Mbulu had the heart to help others. “My mother would joke that I came out of the womb wanting to help people,” but it wasn’t until […]

Graduate Khaibar Rahimy sits at his desk at work. He smiles behind three large computer monitors.

Graduate Spotlight: The Strength To Start Over

By Jeff Sanchez | NOVEMBER 3, 2021 It takes incredible strength to start over and build a new life. Khaibar Rahimy and his family emigrated from Afghanistan about four and a half years ago. In Afghanistan, he was a degreed professional, a civil engineer. His skills allowed him to work with the United States Army […]

Career Placement Coordinator Ron Modesty and a group of graduates wave and give the camera a thumbs up.

Support Spotlight: Career Placement

By Jeff Sanchez | OCTOBER 4, 2021 Support Spotlight Series In this final installment of the Support Spotlight Series, we feature the career placement services at Capital IDEA. Many of the adults who come through Capital IDEA have, at one point or another, had their doubts about getting a college education. It can feel risky […]

Three mothers, all Capital IDEA students, smile with their young children ages zero to nine.

Support Spotlight: Childcare Assistance

By Jeff Sanchez | SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 Support Spotlight Series For over 20 years, Capital IDEA has supported thousands of students on their journey toward a college degree and a better job. Every student accepted into the Career Expressway program is supported financially and offered personal guidance because often, money isn’t the only obstacle keeping […]

Photo: (left) Skylar smiles on graduation day in his cap and gown. His fiance smiling fiance stands next to him. (right) Skyer is at work. He smiles at his desk. Above him hang ten framed certifications.

Graduate Spotlight: I Was Supported The Whole Way

By Jeff Sanchez | JULY 1, 2021 College isn’t for everybody, right? Some people should go, but others just aren’t cut out for it. That’s the conclusion Skyler Coffman arrived at when his first attempt at college didn’t pan out. But Skyler is now a college graduate with a great job. As a Senior Ops […]

Published: 2020 Annual Report

JUNE 23, 2021 Viewing note: the video components may take a second to load. The digital format is mobile-friendly, but for the best experience, we recommend viewing full screen on your computer, laptop, or tablet. The wait is over– Capital IDEA’s 2020 Annual Report is here! And while you may be understandably hesitant to revisit […]

Top 5 Advanced Manufacturing Companies

By Jeff Sanchez | JUNE 10, 2021 Is getting a degree in Advanced Manufacturing (AM) worth the next two years of your life? The short answer is YES! Capital IDEA has done the research. Every degree program we sponsor has to meet several criteria before we can add them to the Career Expressway and offer […]

Graduate Jason Lopez studies at a computer in a computer lab.

Graduate Spotlight: Be Your Own Hero

MAY 27, 2021 Alumnus, Jason Lopez, shared the following remarks with Capital IDEA’s long-time supporter, the Sooch Foundation, during a virtual site visit on April 28, 2021. Jason was also featured in an episode of KLRU Austin PBS’s docu-series American Graduate: Getting To Work that aired in November 2019. Click here to watch » Hello, […]

Image of a flat on a mountain top, reaching new heights.

Graduate Spotlight: His Next Big Goal

By Jeff Sanchez | APRIL 8, 2021 Alpha Diallo’s life has been shaped by goals. Some he set for himself and others his parents set for the family. When he was 13, Alpha’s parents emigrated with him and his siblings from Guinea West Africa to France. Their primary goal was to escape dangerous circumstances and […]

Stat: Supply of RNs in Central Texas is projected to grow by 38.1% between 2018 and 2032, while demand grows by 45.9%. source: Texas Regional Nursing Trends by Texas Health and Human Services.

Partner Spotlight: Our Nurses Aren’t Just Tired — They’re Exhausted

By Jeff Sanchez | FEBRUARY 3, 2021 “There’s a real problem here. Why aren’t we solving it?” When she agreed to take on the project, research fellow Sherry Sybesma had no idea there was a problem at all. But after a year spent digging into the complex issues surrounding our region’s nursing shortage, she couldn’t […]

Graduates Juana and Araceli hug and smile at their pinning ceremony in their nurse lab coats.

Graduate Spotlight: One Family, Three Degrees and Counting

By Jeff Sanchez | DECEMBER 9, 2020 When Juana Patino decided to go to college, she had no idea the kind of ripple effect it would have on her family. As of this post, three of the Patino siblings, Juana, Araceli, and Maria Laura, have all graduated from college with degrees in healthcare and IT. […]

Graduate Spotlight: I Was Called To This

By Jeff Sanchez | NOVEMBER 12, 2020 Vision. Perseverance. Support. For Shirlet Oriakhi, these were the things that helped her achieve great things in her life. Inspired by her mother who had a gift for passing on wisdom and knowledge, Shirlet, from an early age, cultivated a vision for herself that included helping others through […]