Entrepreneur Jorge Reyes fell in love with technology while learning English.​

Originally from Toluca, Mexico, 38-year-old Jorge Reyes once planned for a career in his native land as an English translator. “I started at Fox Valley Tech by taking English Language Learning (ELL) classes,” he says. “At the same time, I enrolled in a computer class, discovered technology and ended up with my own business in downtown Appleton.”

Reyes went on to earn both a Computer Support Specialist associate degree and a Help Desk Support Specialist technical diploma from FVTC in 2015. “It only took me three years to graduate with two information technology degrees while learning English at the same time,” he says. “During college, I enjoyed helping others with their computers, and after graduation it seemed natural to start my own business.”

Today, Reyes is the proud owner of IT Evolution, a growing full-service computer company. He started out three years ago with one computer and today he has more than 200 systems for sale. Reyes also repairs and installs computers, printers and mobile devices, and recently he earned his Registered Refurbisher license through Microsoft.

The small business owner attributes his success to FVTC. “My instructors helped me overcome a language barrier while building strong IT skills,” he states. “All I had to do was ask for help, and there it was.”

Reyes is now expanding his business by working with industries to recycle their older computers. “I reuse the parts and build refurbished computers to help customers solve problems while staying within budget,” he adds. 

IT Careers Everywhere: 

More than 390 IT job postings in the region per month and a median hourly wage of more than $32 in careers representing FVTC’s IT programs

Based on 2017 data from Emsi Labor Market Analytics