After years away from the workforce because of serious health challenges, Kenneth Ezell wasn’t sure how he would fit into a rapidly changing technology industry. CanCode Communities helped him discover that his curiosity—and his ability to learn—had never left.
Kenneth Ezell has always been a technology guy.
He calls himself a “geek.” Give him a database, a spreadsheet or a problem that could be solved more efficiently with technology, and he’s happy.
But for several years, technology had to take a back seat.
Kenneth was dealing with serious health challenges.
After breaking his right foot, he developed a bone infection that led to years of infections, surgeries and additional health complications. Eventually, his right leg was amputated below the knee. He also experienced significant problems with his left leg and spent approximately three years using a wheelchair.
For a long time, his focus wasn’t his career.
It was his health.
“I spent a lot of time in hospitals, just trying to get back healthy,” Kenneth said.
Today, Kenneth says he’s in a much better place with his health. And that has allowed him to start thinking about something he hadn’t been able to focus on for years:
What’s next?
The Industry Had Changed. Had Kenneth?
Kenneth wanted to return to the workforce.
But after years away, he could see how quickly technology had evolved.
He had experience with databases and spreadsheets. He knew he loved working with computers.
What he didn’t know was whether his skills could still translate to today’s workplace.
“I didn’t doubt that I belonged,” Kenneth said. “It’s just, could I catch back up?”
He described technology as a river that had kept moving while he was away.
“That river has picked up a lot of speed,” he said. “Am I gonna be able to get back in on that without drowning?”
Then Kenneth’s wife brought home a flyer for CanCode Communities.
In June 2024, he signed up for his first course.
Python programming.
“I Am Still Good at This.”
It didn’t take long for something familiar to return.
Kenneth started writing programs.
He built a login system. He experimented. He tried things that didn’t work and kept going until they did.
And he started losing track of time.
His wife would walk in and find him still sitting at the computer, completely absorbed in what he was building.
Kenneth recognized that feeling.
He’d missed it.
“I realized, okay, okay, I am still good at this—or enjoying this,” he said.
That mattered because Kenneth had been carrying a real question into the program.
Could he understand today’s technology well enough to work with it?
And just as importantly: Would he still enjoy it?
The answer was yes.
“I Still Have the Spark.”
Kenneth continued taking CanCode courses, learning front-end web development and exploring artificial intelligence.
Each experience gave him another opportunity to test himself against technology that hadn’t been part of his previous career.
And each time, he learned something important.
“I know that I can do it,” Kenneth said. “I still have the spark. I still have the interest. I still have the enjoyment when I do it.”
For Kenneth, that renewed confidence has been one of CanCode’s greatest impacts.
He’s also putting what he’s learned into practice.
Kenneth and his wife have a digital library of hundreds of movies. To make the system easier to manage, Kenneth used Python to write a program that automatically organizes file names so they connect correctly with the movie database.
It’s exactly the kind of problem Kenneth has always loved solving.
Throughout his career, he gravitated toward using technology to make things work better for other people.
CanCode gave him a chance to start doing that again—with today’s tools.
A Different Kind of Access
CanCode’s online format was particularly important for Kenneth.
His mobility remains limited, so being able to participate remotely made the program much more accessible to him.
“The whole program has been extremely convenient,” he said. “The classes are great, the structures are good, and the instructors are awesome.”
But access meant more than simply being able to attend a class.
It gave Kenneth a way to explore what his professional future could look like.
Today, he’s looking for work.
And instead of wondering whether technology has passed him by, Kenneth says he feels confident in both what he knows and what he’s capable of learning.
“It has rebuilt my confidence,” he said. “It’s made all the difference in being comfortable in knowing what I know and what I believe I can learn.”
“They’re Giving Someone a Chance to Rebuild Their Confidence.”
When asked what he would tell someone considering a donation to CanCode Communities, Kenneth had already thought about his answer.
“When someone donates to CanCode, they’re not just funding classes,” he said. “They’re giving someone a chance to rebuild their confidence, develop valuable skills and believe in themselves again.”
Then he explained why those words matter so much to him:
“I know because that’s exactly me.”
Kenneth’s future is still being written.
But now, he knows something he wasn’t sure of when his wife first handed him that CanCode flyer.
He can learn the technology.
He still loves solving problems.
He still gets excited about what’s possible.
The spark is still there.
And in Kenneth’s own words:
“CanCode Communities helped me by giving me the confidence to rebuild my future.”
This Mohawk Valley Gives, your support can help CanCode Communities give more people access to the skills, technology and confidence they need to explore what’s possible next.