How 1 computer changed the WORLD
can it save
lives yes can have a
huge ripple effect can help a student
meet remotely with their teacher finish
their school papers
get into and graduate college find a
job start a family and fulfill their
dreams
sadly not everyone can be so lucky
can i see a show of hands if you guys
have a computer at home
everyone in the room unfortunately this
is not the case for many people
especially underserved students
in my hometown of cincinnati about 50
percent of the kids
are living below the poverty line in all
the u.s
about 40 percent of the kids are below
the poverty line
this is really tough these can
these kids need computers to help
empower their
lives and to succeed
so what are we gonna do i am so
passionate
about helping these kids because i can
see too many headlines of youth not
reaching their dreams
it’s tough luckily i grew up
fortunate enough that i had my knees met
i had access to technology and i still
struggled to succeed
my story starts when my business
launched
and my desire to give back was ignited
in the infancy of my business i didn’t
have the money or means to donate
devices
but i tried to deliver positivity
wherever i went
as my business started to grow i was
able to donate devices
and also i was raising money and
awareness for the causes of the month
but i soon realized i was spreading my
gifting too thin
across too many organizations to have a
great impact
my true passion lied with ensuring that
students that did not grow privileged
like myself would have the means to
succeed
as a board member of a local non-profit
that focuses on student group mentoring
we saw firsthand that these kids needed
more access to technology
and especially right now to have safe
distance remote learning
so starting in 2019 i pivoted away from
monthly gifting and i focused it on
gifting computers to students
but they weren’t simply gifted they were
earned
these outstanding students earned them
through their respective organizations
by being outstanding and working her
putts off
when i meet with these students and hear
their stories of their lives
it truly brings tears to my eyes they’ve
worked so incredibly hard
to overcome things like homelessness
hunger
poverty abuse problems with the law
and other undesirable home situations
that would leave
many of us down and not reaching for our
dreams
so after meeting with all these kids
it’s just truly ignited
the ability of me to want to give back
by donating these computers
we can change their lives change their
outlook on the world
and their future job prospects
in only the couple of years that have
leaned into gifting technology
i’ve seen all these outcomes and more
and the impact is driving me to want to
do more
this cycle can gain momentum and help so
many more students reach their goals
and ultimately help the world be a
better place
let’s envision a future where every
student
has access to technology to allow them
to reach their goals and dreams
can you imagine the positive impact that
it could have
so will you join me in being
a dream maker now is the time
if you have one takeaway from this talk
imagine how the devices
in your drawers and closets can empower
our youth
and save lives thank you