HOUSTON – With the growing technological innovations we have, it’s easy to forget a digital divide remains present, especially in the Houston area. Despite efforts to address these through laptop distribution programs by telecommunications companies like AT&T, it can be difficult to see how much progress is being made.
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Fortunately, two Houston-area students are living examples of the distribution program after getting access to free laptops and using them to apply for scholarships and college. Both of them live in digitally divided areas of the city, and while they attend different schools, they have experienced the same struggle.
Carlos Marin, for example, is a graduating senior at Milby High School and will be a first-generation college student, and plans to attend the University of Houston-Downtown.
“Before I had the laptop, all I could use was my phone and my dad’s work computer, and my dad’s work computer wasn’t always accessible to me,” he explained. “And my phone, it’s not practical to do a college application on your cell phone. So with the laptop the AT&T gave me, it made the whole application process way easier."
Similarly, Ethan Bianco-Garza, who is graduating from Houston School for the Visual and Performing Arts, had to rely on his mother’s work laptop in addition to a school-issued laptop. However, he still faced limits when it came to when or how he could use both respective computers.
“My school laptop was obviously supplemental on schoolwork, but outside of that, it was, I’m in heavily restricted just because of, you know, district policies and school policies and whatnot, but, and then everything else would have to be through a shared laptop, so if I was, if I was using it, my mother couldn’t,” he explained. “So it was just kind of like a ‘What can I do with the time that I have?’ And just making sure I get everything done and coordinating that, but it’s been made much easier with my own laptop just to be able to do all these things that previously I had to coordinate like very ahead of time or think about how.”
Ethan was recently accepted into the University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt University, and during a big celebration day by AT&T, he announced where he’d be attending in the fall.
“I plan on studying vocal performance at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, as well as pursuing a five-year master’s in human and organizational development‚" he said. “I kind of got inspired by the Segundo Barrio Children’s Chorus and their mission to kind of bring music to underserved communities in all forms, through voice, through violin, guitar, and whatever it may be, and these two paths have kind of led me to that direction. I mean the journey was definitely difficult, especially as the largest incoming class of freshmen for universities this year, but having a laptop was an asset to the process that helped me apply to these universities and get these scholarships.”
All this was made possible through AT&T contributing a total of $370,000 to over 20 Houston area nonprofit organizations like Precinct2gether, First Tee of Greater Houston, and the Children’s Assessment Center of Houston to distribute nearly 2,500 refurbished computers for students and families.
I resonate with these children a bit because I went to high school in a digitally divided area — Acres Homes. As a journalist, I’ve done many stories on laptop distributions and about the importance of bridging the digital divide, but it’s not very often you hear about what happens after those computers are distributed. Certainly, good comes from it, and students can use it to their advantage. That’s why hearing from these two is a testament to why we need more efforts to fix the technological gap we have in the Houston area.
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“There are people who do need it,” Ethan noted. “And for those who don’t have the resources, I’d say that there are a lot of programs and AT&T is a great example, that are willing to help, especially to like under-resourced communities like the Second Ward. There are plenty of people willing to help and find students, especially those who are very bright and talented, who would like to see them propel their journey into whatever career they might choose.“
AT&T also noted that these programs are not just limited to students in low-income areas, but seniors who also want hands-on training in basic digital literacy skills, victims of domestic violence to increase online safety, as well as their educational/employment opportunities.
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All of this is part of the communications giant’s $5 billion commitment to help 25 million people become (and stay) connected by 2030.
“Technology is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. All students deserve access to the essential tools they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond,” Tanya Makany-Rivera, Director for External and Legislative Affairs, AT&T Texas, said in a statement. “It’s incredible to see the positive impact of connectivity firsthand, and we applaud these students for taking the next step in their education.”
Learn more about AT&T’s commitment to bridging the digital divide by visiting their website.