Veronika Kolesnikova

Long before she was debugging frontend components or coordinating complex technical delivery pipelines, Veronika Kolesnikova spent her days in the high-discipline world of professional pastry making. 

Eventually, the physical toll of manual labor caught up with her. Faced with a medical leave of absence and advice that she could no longer continue in the kitchen, Veronika reached a sudden crossroads. 

Instead of stepping back, she looked back, returning to a curiosity she had harbored as a teenager, when she and her friends spent hours tinkering with computers just to see what made them tick and what could be broken.

That teenage dream led her to Per Scholas, setting off a transformative journey marked by discipline, self-reinvention, and unwavering resilience.

Transitioning into software engineering with no professional technical background was daunting, but Veronika approached her 2024 Per Scholas cohort with fierce commitment.

"The program was quite intense. I took it very seriously, as if my job depended on it. Our day-to-day was just a lot of coursework, a very fast pace, jumping from one topic to the other."

Even when the material moved at lightning speed, Veronika leaned on Per Scholas's deep library of learning resources and dedicated classroom support. Her cohort's instructional assistant went above and beyond during office hours, ensuring every learner grasped core fundamentals and got their code running.

Beyond syntax, Per Scholas demystified the broader technical ecosystem, giving Veronika a blueprint: "Per Scholas gave me the baseline, which I did not have. Without it, I would not have anything to build upon. It gave me insight into what is actually happening: how databases differ from APIs, how that differs from user-facing applications, and where testing comes into the picture. That insight into the full development lifecycle enabled me."

Breaking into a new career requires more than classroom knowledge; it requires staying the course through uncertainty. After graduating, Veronika didn't land a new role overnight.

Recognizing that "software development is a team sport," she proactively sought collaborative team projects to build her communication and pair-programming skills, volunteering with developer communities such as The Collab Lab and Chingu. She treated learning not as a single milestone, but as an ongoing habit.

In spring 2025, that perseverance opened the door to Capgemini, where she started as a Scrum Master Intern. Rather than remaining confined to that role, Veronika seized every opportunity to demonstrate her depth in engineering. She stepped up to resolve client feedback, rebuilt and shipped React features that met strict business requirements, and demonstrated that she could bridge the gap between technical execution and business delivery.

Her diligence paid off: Capgemini converted Veronika into a full-time Associate Software Engineer. 

Today, she serves in a technical delivery and engineering role, coordinating delivery pipelines and ensuring total transparency across development workflows.

"I just enjoy seeing things done. Software engineering involves a tremendous number of moving parts coming together in a shipped feature or product. It's an achievement, and I'm frankly quite excited that I'm a part of this… to be a gear in this machine."

Even with a full-time role secured, Veronika never stopped expanding her toolset. In the spring of 2026, she returned to Per Scholas to upskill and complete the React Accelerated Program while working full-time. She dived deeper into the architecture behind modern frontend frameworks.

Her appetite for growth has only accelerated:

• Earned her AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner credential
• Cleared Capgemini's internal GenAI Developer Assessment
• Currently preparing for her Anthropic Certified Developer and Microsoft Forward Deployed Engineer credentials
• Exploring advanced paths in AI architecture and DevOps

Reflecting on her trajectory, Veronika notes: "Learning software [through Per Scholas] changed me on a fundamental level. It helped me organize my thoughts in a structured way. It's almost like it helped my prefrontal cortex complete its development. I understand my finances better. Even learning piano… Musically, I've grown because I'm able to see patterns where previously I just saw a bunch of dots that weren't connected."

Veronika's journey showcases true perseverance. 

For future Per Scholas learners who may feel overwhelmed when stepping into the classroom with zero coding experience, she offers advice: "I remember how impossibly hard it was to start. If someone is struggling, just stay on track. Don't even take it one concept at a time; take it one sentence at a time. All that matters is time and practice. If you are willing to put those in, success will follow."

And for Veronika, her journey towards success has just begun. Per Scholas was the kickoff she needed to achieve all her career goals.