Meet Your Neighbor: Elijah Freeman

"I've always been interested in how things work. When I was younger, I would take things apart just to see what components they had. A few years ago, I fixed my own computer mouse by taking it apart, replacing a broken component, and getting it working again. That's when I realized how much I enjoy solving problems through technology.

I moved to New York in 2021 for educational opportunities and spent a lot of time teaching myself about coding and programming because I wanted to understand how computers really work.

In 2025, while I was looking for a job, I attended a job fair where I learned about Queens Community House's CRED program. As soon as I heard there was an IT program, I thought, 'Oh, computers.' That immediately piqued my interest.

The CRED program was a really great training program. It taught me IT-specific skills, gave me an industry-recognized CompTIA certification, and prepared me for a and prepared me for a fulfilling internship with the QCH IT department.

I came into my internship with one goal: 'I'm here to work really hard, and I'm here to support you guys.' What surprised me most was seeing everything that goes into an IT department. There was project management, operations, communication, and constant problem-solving. I remember thinking, 'This is honestly probably the best internship I could have asked for.'

When my internship ended, I started applying for IT jobs. Then one day I got a call asking if I'd like to come back to QCH full-time. My answer was simple: 'Heck yeah.'

Working at QCH has taught me to think outside the box, solve problems, and always look for ways to improve processes. It has given me a strong foundation to continue building my career in technology.

If someone is thinking about joining the CRED program, I'd tell them it's definitely one of the best ways to get into tech. If you have an interest in computers and want to use technology to create solutions, the program will give you job-ready skills that are practical and marketable."

—Elijah Freeman