TechCircle

((PKG)) UYGHUR ENTREPRENUER
((TRT: 03:08))
((Topic Banner: Another Way into Tech))
((Reporter: Enming Liu, Stella Hsu))
((Camera/Editor: Enming Liu))
((Map: Centreville, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((NATS))
((Irfan Yuksel
CEO & Co-Founder, TechCircle))
My name is Irfan Yuksel. I am a father of three, working as an IT [information technology] professional. I am a full-stack engineer and also, I am a CEO and co-founder of TechCircle.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Irfan Yuksel
CEO & Co-Founder, TechCircle))
TechCircle is an IT training boot camp. It was founded in 2019 by two Uyghur friends who share the same goal of inspiring people from any life or background to obtain the IT career opportunity and without having any sort of IT degree. ((NATS/MUSIC))
((Irfan Yuksel
CEO & Co-Founder, TechCircle))
I think in the United States with any immigrant who comes to this country, they are struggling with the immigration process. That is the challenging part. Once you have your status here and then you are starting to working at minimum wage companies like I did. I started working as an Uber driver in the morning from like 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. After that,
((Courtesy: Irfan Yuksel))
I worked for Jimmy John’s as a sandwich delivery driver. And later in the afternoon I was delivering the pizza. If I had some time between a couple of shifts, I just worked for Walmart as a sales associate. I had the four jobs at the same time.
((NATS))
((Gherbi Chouaib
Cloud Tester))
When I came here, I like the idea of what they have. I like how their philosophy, you know, to helping people even if you don't have no background. You know, helping, they teach you all these skills. And you learn and they switch your life, you know, from making like $15 [an hour] to make like $120K [thousand] a year. So that’s totally… So I stuck with them and learned the technology. For me like TechCircle is not like school. For me it’s like a home and family here in USA.
((NATS))
((Bianca Bank
Student, TechCircle))
The pandemic, that changed my mind a lot, especially working in the restaurant industry. I never thought that going to work, like every time I went to work, I was somehow like scared because I was in like contact with so many people that I didn't know. And I didn't expect to have that feeling when going to work. And that was one thing that I believed that like pushed me to invest in myself where I could have a stable job and able to work from home, if needed.
((Irfan Yuksel
CEO & Co-Founder, TechCircle))
Uyghurs are the hardworking people. They always educate themselves, to grow themselves, to get a comfortable future. I will say trust the process, put your effort, put your time and be consistent. You can achieve any goal that you want.