Buoyed by a Loan, Eddie Franco’s Boot Camp Dreams Came True

Eddie Franco isn’t a college graduate—but that’s never stopped his passionate personality from helping him ambitiously achieve his dreams.

Two years into a computer science degree at a nearby university, Eddie began to realize the typical college path was not for him. He withdrew from school and got a job as a mover at a local moving company. He was a hard worker, and it paid off—earning him a series of quick, successive promotions from mover to driver, then from driver to crew leader and trainer. 

As his responsibilities grew, Eddie worked more closely with the antiquated computer systems the company was using to manage daily operations, and he realized he had the ability to give the IT infrastructure a facelift. He upgraded the company’s time clock and payroll systems; the initiative caught his superiors’ attention.

It would be another year before Eddie would end up at the KU Coding Boot Camp. A little support from family, friends, and a small loan would help him get there.

Rediscovering purpose

By the end of his first year with the moving company, Eddie had rightfully earned a spot in its corporate offices as an IT manager. With a reignited passion for computer science, Eddie realized that he would have to go back to school to finish his degree in order to progress further.

Eddie didn’t want to wait a couple years to enter the field, so he sought out nontraditional options. Eventually, he decided the six-month KU Coding Boot Camp was the way to go—but now he had to grapple with the price tag.

“The boot camp was too expensive for me to pay up-front,” Eddie said. “I remember thinking There’s no way I can afford this, and that was not a good feeling.”

Then Eddie learned that the boot camp had alternative financing available through Climb Credit, and everything changed.

Pursuing his future

“The loan made my situation so much easier,” Eddie said. “Suddenly attending the boot camp wasn’t off the table anymore. When I got accepted for the loan, I knew this was the path for me.”

The loan wasn’t only a stepping stone to success—the flexible terms empowered him to focus on his bright future ahead.

“None of the payments were due until after boot camp, and I was confident, based on friends’ boot camp experiences, that this would lead to a new career. I knew I would be fine once I was on the other side,” Eddie said.

Sure enough, Eddie excelled in the program, watching his skills progress steadily. By the time the final weeks rolled around, Eddie and his group—all avid video gamers—were able to create an online third person zombie defense game called Midwaste. The project involved back-end database elements and front-end UI/UX elements, too. The project was Eddie’s favorite to work on because it was a culmination of everything he had learned.

Living his goals

After boot camp, Eddie briefly returned to the moving company while he searched for his next job. He was able to utilize his new knowledge to further improve the company’s systems and processes. They were very supportive as Eddie began to search for new employment opportunities.

Today, Eddie works as a software developer at Moonshot Innovations in Overland Park, Kansas. He enjoys the work, and he still finds time to help his friends at the moving company when they need an extra hand.

Currently, Eddie is in the process of repaying the loan, which he notes is very manageable on month-to-month payment terms. In less than two years, Eddie will have the entire loan paid off. He reflects on how much boot camp changed his life and recognizes the importance of the loan on his path to success.

“It’s quite simple—without the loan I wouldn’t have been able to go to boot camp,” Eddie said. “None of this would have happened the way it did.”