When Isaac Wicks, a junior at Niwot High School, began his freshman year, he was interested in a variety of pathways. Just three short years later, he has earned three Salesforce certifications and completed a real-world internship where he applied the skills he gained through those programs.
What first piqued Isaac’s interest in Salesforce was its accessibility and ease of use. The platform felt intuitive, and the idea of helping organizations operate more effectively sparked his curiosity. That initial interest quickly grew into something more meaningful. “It has been really interesting to see how companies can utilize Salesforce and how I can help them with it,” he shared.
Isaac credits the CLIMB Program with opening the door to future career opportunities and certifications. Designed to help students access industry certifications, mentorship, and work-based learning, the program allowed him to discover both a viable career path and the confidence to pursue it. “If it wasn’t for the CLIMB Program, I wouldn’t know anything about Salesforce,” Isaac said. “It has been fantastic to have a program facilitate this opportunity to learn more about tech careers and soft skills that will help me with future work opportunities.”
Beyond certifications, Isaac was also able to participate in a hands-on internship with a local non-profit. At Groundworks Art Lab, he embraced the challenge of building out the organization’s customer relationship management (CRM) system. Kari Palazzari, the internship coordinator at Groundworks Art Lab, emphasized the importance of Isaac’s impact. “We are so grateful to have had Isacc help us build our Salesforce CRM. He was such a valuable addition to our team and helped make it possible for us to complete a big fundraising project,” she shared.
Looking ahead, Isaac plans to build on this momentum by pursuing additional certifications through the CLIMB Program during his senior year at Niwot High School. As he continues exploring the broader world of computer science and coding, Isaac is focused on gaining more experience in computer science and refining the skills that have already prepared him for the future.