Stories of the LearnSQL Scholarship Program

2020 is behind us. It was an extremely difficult year: We’ve struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic, a worldwide economic crisis, and constant anxiety. Many people have lost their jobs and their prospects for a better tomorrow. That's why we decided to do something positive: establishing a SQL scholarship program.

We decided to find people in difficult situations and try to help them. For many, learning SQL can be their chance to get a job and develop their career. That’s why we decided to fund and grant our flagship SQL A to Z track to these people. The response exceeded our wildest expectations. People from all over the world shared their stories with us. Here are just some of them:

“I recently graduated in Computer Science at the University of Mississippi. Due to the pandemic, I am still forced to be unemployed. I joined the local Mississippi Delta community, helping the underprivileged learn the basic concepts of data science and visualization. No matter how big the ladders I climb, I will spend my time helping others who – not because of their talent but because of serious poverty – landed here. My hunger for learning remains the same. The SQL Scholarship 2020 will help me learn more advanced subjects that I could pass on to others and help them build a better life and serve the community better.”

Amrit Poudel, Clarksdale, USA

“I am planning a career as a Data Analyst. SQL is one of the important skills I need to make my dream come true. It's been a difficult year for me, especially since I became independent and my expenses doubled. However, I believe that with the right attitude and a little help, I can achieve anything.”

Arianna, Cúcuta, Colombia

“I always try to learn new things. However, recently I haven't had the money for personal development. It has been three years since my father passed away. Since then, I have had to take care of my mother and my two nephews, who do not have the direct support of their parents. Daily expenses, mainly food and care, consume most of our budget. I can't afford to pay for my studies. The SQL scholarship would give me the opportunity to develop.”

Luis, Lima, Peru

“My ultimate career goal is to develop an interactive financial literacy application for children to learn what most people don't until it is too late. I want to educate youth about all financial areas, from credit and savings to identifying wants and prioritizing needs. Essentially, I know that I have to develop professionally in various areas to do so.

One thing that is inevitable is change, while one thing that will always be constant is time. Our world is constantly changing and new advances in technology don't show it slowing down soon, if at all. We as individuals have to choose to either stay ahead or play catch up. I choose to stay ahead.

The SQL Scholarship will give me just the boost I need in my career path. All in all, I know that these skills will be vital in helping me to achieve my goals. Though this year has not been the easiest, I count my life in itself as my biggest blessing and take my shortcomings as lessons.”

Andrea, Baltimore, USA

“I am pursuing my undergraduate degree and I am so eager to learn SQL. Due to Covid-19 and current situations, I could not afford to get a SQL course. Your SQL scholarship would help a lot in my career.”

Koripella, India

“For a student like me, 2020 was quite a challenge – especially when looking for an internship. However, I did find a valuable skill that I could learn during the pandemic. Thanks to LearnSQL.com and the SQL Scholarship, I can learn something that will help me in the labor market. SQL will give me the opportunity for professional development and much more versatility as a job candidate.”

Charles, Amherst, USA

“What's my story? At the moment, unfortunately, I am unemployed. Why? Here in Chile, we had a bad 2019, with various revolts and an economic crisis. It all affected the company I worked for and I got fired. Then 2020 came and so did Covid-19. It was really hard to find a job. I have worked on various projects. During one of them, I realized how important it would be for me to learn SQL and how much I could gain. So far, I have tried to learn mainly from YouTube. Now, thanks to SQL Scholarship, new possibilities are opening up for me for the future.”

Francisco, Santiago, Chile

“After losing my job during the pandemic and eventually running out of savings, I started looking for jobs and preparing myself to improve my SQL. I discovered the LearnSQL.com blog and applied for the 2020 SQL Scholarship program. Fortunately, I was selected. I truly cannot thank you enough for helping me out in such unprecedented times.

“When it comes to SQL tutorials, there's a lot of online resources out there. But in my humble opinion, LearnSQL.com is way above them all. It offers this unique combination of clear explanations of concepts and lots of real-world database queries so learners can assimilate all of what's taught in a logical manner, keeping the entire experience challenging, fun and rewarding."

Vaibahav, Boston, USA

2021: Your Year to Learn SQL

We received many more stories. Some people were really in a mess, but not all wanted their private affairs to be published. We would like to thank everyone for participating in this year's SQL Scholarship. It is definitely not the last one.

By browsing through all the applications for the SQL Scholarship, I could see why people want to learn SQL. While everyone has their own story, reasons, and motivation, there are a few similarities:

• SQL can be a chance for a new job and higher earnings. Simply put, it is a chance for more money and a more comfortable life with a home budget. See how much you can earn if you learn SQL.
• SQL is a great tool to streamline and facilitate our time-consuming daily activities. Instead of manually compiling data in a spreadsheet, just write a SQL query and the computer will do all the work for you.
• SQL is a great tool for personal development. Learning SQL is like learning a new foreign language - it broadens your horizons and trains your brain.

If you were wondering whether it is worth learning SQL, check out Is There any Demand for SQL Language Nowadays? Some time ago I also wrote a small guide on how to deal with learning when you work and have a family.

Now we’ll be closely monitoring the progress of our students and their careers. We hope that, after such a difficult 2020, this will be a breakthrough for them and also for the rest of us. The most important thing is that we stay together and keep developing. Stay positive and remember: learning SQL can change your life!