The 33rd Time’s the Charm: How Ivy Tech Helped A 2025 Grad Break Into Salesforce

At 51 years old, Robert Gooding is preparing to cross the commencement stage at Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis in May. The moment will mark the completion of a six-year journey – taking classes one at a time, working full time, and raising four children alongside his wife – but in truth, his story of resilience, reinvention, and relentless hope began decades earlier, thousands of miles from Indianapolis.

Gooding’s story begins in Bogotá, Colombia, where he was born and raised. After spending much of his childhood with his grandmother, he lived with his father and stepmother in his teenage years. At the time, he had just started studying computer engineering, but political unrest, violence, and economic uncertainty in Colombia pushed his family to seek a better life.

“We were looking to immigrate to the United States,” he said. “Colombia was going through a very rough patch with violence … There were car bombs in malls. You never knew what would blow up on any given day.”

In 1996, at age 21, Gooding moved to California. 

“You basically have to restart your life from zero,” he said. “I didn’t have any credit. I didn’t know any English.” 

He enrolled in English as a Second Language classes and worked at a private school during the day. “To kind of get myself into being able to be fluent in the language.”

Over the years, he held a wide variety of jobs—many far from the career he once envisioned. He worked in retail, restaurants, collections, and he even cleaned classrooms and bathrooms. 

“Something that I would have never done in Colombia, of course,” he said. “But we came here to clean things.”

After several years of living and working in California, Gooding found himself on the move once again—this time headed east. His relocation to Indiana came through an unexpected but meaningful chapter of his life.

“When I was in California, I joined a Christian drama organization doing theater,” he said. Through that group, he toured the country, performing in churches, schools, and even prisons, often staying in people’s homes along the way. “I became a professional guest,” he joked.

During his travels, Gooding met someone from Indiana, and their connection eventually led him to move to the Midwest. That move in early 2001 would prove to be pivotal. Indiana soon became home, offering him a fresh start, a growing community, and years later, the opportunity to return to school and pursue the degree he had once left behind.

Gooding eventually landed roles in car sales and mortgage services, working his way up to supervisor-level positions. But even those weren’t immune to disruption. 

“That was my first layoff experience, as the company was acquired,” he said. “We were told, ‘You have a job, but you have to move to New Jersey.’” With a young family and no desire to relocate, he had to start over again.

 “I loved the opportunity to talk to people over the phone and being able to utilize my bilingual skills,” he said. As he became more familiar with the technology, the dream took root. “I loved what the company provided,” he said. “This became a dream of mine, like, ‘Well, this is something that kind of goes back to what I wanted to do way back when in Colombia’—working in tech.”

Gooding began working in sales, but still, one dream always remained: working for Salesforce in Indianapolis.

How Ivy Tech Helped Gooding Achieve The Dream

“I applied [to Salesforce] 33 times,” he chuckled. “People always ask, ‘Are you crazy?’” 

He didn’t get discouraged. Instead, he added tools to his toolbox.

In 2019, Gooding enrolled at Ivy Tech to pursue an associate of applied science in informatics. He chose the college not just because it was affordable, but because it felt like a good fit for his life. 

“The flexibility has definitely helped me,” he said. “I think that one of the things that makes Ivy Tech very successful is that they care for the individual no matter where they came from.”

Soon after enrolling, he learned about the Pathfinder program—a partnership between Ivy Tech, Salesforce, and Deloitte designed to upskill students and prepare them for careers in the Salesforce ecosystem. Participants met regularly in Salesforce Tower and received both online and in-person instruction.

“That’s what Pathfinder is all about,” Gooding explained. “The ecosystem for Salesforce is so vast, and this training helped you become a Salesforce-certified admin or a developer – it literally changes your life.”

Gooding credits Jessica Jagger, then a talent connection manager at Ivy Tech Indy’s School of Information Technology (SoIT), with opening that door.

“When he came to me, he showed initiative and drive, and he had previous work experience and those transferable employability skills. I was like, ‘You’d be a perfect candidate,’” Jagger said.

She wasn’t wrong.

“He was probably one of their star students,” Jagger said. “Every time I talked to him, he would be raving about the program and how amazing it was, how awesome the teachers were, and how structured it was. So he was probably the poster child for that program, honestly.”

Gooding excelled in Pathfinder, earning his Salesforce Admin Certification and learning skills that would launch his career. 

“I was being a user before, at previous places of employment,” he said. “Now, I am somebody that I can set up users and do all of that backend stuff.” 

Gooding also learned the importance of networking and community in the tech world. 

“That definitely helps to bridge the gap,” he said. “Not only making yourself known, but also to help others get to that finish line.”

What surprised and inspired him most about the program was the various backgrounds among the participants. 

“I was sitting in this room with other folks that have worked in childcare or have worked in bartending or waiters or people that worked in manufacturing … and [they were] thinking, ‘I want to change my life.’ And they did it.”

Jagger, who came to higher education as an adult learner herself, saw herself in Gooding.

“I didn’t get my bachelor’s degree until I was around 32,” Jagger said. “Robert and I shared a lot of the same beliefs about that. We were already equipped with real-world experience, and Ivy Tech didn’t serve as a second chance for us, but as the right place to grow our existing strengths into new opportunities.”

She believes Gooding’s success challenges conventional expectations about who college is for. 

“There is this kind of assumption that college is for the 18- to 24-year-old, right?” she said. “And Ivy Tech as a community college has helped reeducate the workforce … that there’s viable talent across all age groups.”

After completing the Pathfinder program and receiving his certification, Gooding was finally offered his dream job in 2021—on his 33rd application. He is now a bilingual senior success guide at Salesforce, helping clients use the platform effectively. He’s already been promoted and is active in LatinoForce, Salesforce’s employee resource group for Hispanic and Latino staff.

“I love to participate in LatinoForce,” he said. “Because it connects me with that heritage that I have and be part of that community.”

He recently spoke on a panel for young Latino scholars and college grads, offering encouragement and guidance. 

“It was really neat and motivating to give them perspective about the process of how to apply to Salesforce,” he said. “And then also the story of how life can throw you through different curves … and how you can move through them.”

Gooding plans to continue his upward trajectory, with hopes to move into leadership at Salesforce and possibly return to school for a bachelor’s degree using his company’s tuition reimbursement program.

Though he achieved his career goal before completing his degree, he never stopped pushing forward at Ivy Tech. 

“After I got my technical certificate with summa cum laude, I was like, I’m going to continue on the associate track, no matter what,” he said. “Anything less than an A is not good for me.”

He stuck with it not only for himself but for his children. 

“It’s also demonstrating to my children … that it is important to finish what you start.”

He also shares this advice for those navigating career setbacks: “You cannot dwell on, ‘Oh my gosh, this happened to me.’ … You gotta have an attitude of like, ‘Okay, great. I’m grateful for the knowledge that I gathered.’ That knowledge—you can take it with you to the next place.”

As commencement approaches, Gooding is reflecting on what it all means. 

“It’s going to be a great accomplishment,” he said. “It’s never too late to accomplish your dreams … as long as you stick with it and make sure that you have the perseverance.”

Jagger hopes more people see what’s possible through Gooding’s story. 

“Nobody at Ivy Tech is here to judge—we’re the guide,” she said. “Our students are understanding that there is a livelihood, a good livelihood, in working just with Ivy Tech. You don’t need a Ph.D. to have a good career.”

And with a 4.0 GPA, a Salesforce career, and a mission to inspire others, Gooding is proof of that.