Just as the title suggests, this past weekend Latinitas, in partnership with AT&T and Human-I-T, gave away over a hundred laptops for free. The event was inspired by Latinitas longstanding promise to empower students through technology, as these laptops are seen as a true necessity. A way to bridge the digital divide, connecting students with technology and tools for learning by offering a world of access at their fingertips. The event also coincided nicely with AT&T’s Connected Learning Initiative, in which AT&T commits to aiding over 25 million people to receive high-speed internet by 2030.
This past Saturday, September 28th over a hundred people made their way to Latinitas headquarters and were lined up around the corner, thrilled to receive their free laptops. The exciting event began early in the morning, with coffee and breakfast readily available for the guests. As everyone enjoyed their refreshments and found their seats, they got to listen to some tunes courtesy of the radio station 99.3 Mexicanisima Austin and Norsan Media. Once the event was ready to begin, Latinitas Executive Director Gabriela Kane Guardia took to the stage to give everyone a warm welcome, thanking the guests for attending and supporting on this momentous day.
She then introduced AT&T Representative Bird Holmquist, who wanted to share why this small gesture was so important to the brand, “As we all know, millions of students across the country cannot connect to online learning opportunities because they have no internet access or unreliable internet access at home, no computers or poor digital literacy skills. These students are often at risk for falling behind their peers, in the classroom and beyond. That is why today’s device distribution is so critical.”
Following Holmquist, Austin City Council Member and former Latinitas Board Member José Velásquez took to the stage to round out the speeches, by first acknowledging the life-changing impact of having a device in the home, “With their own laptops and increased access to enhance their skills, these students can better prepare for their future and the opportunities ahead.” He went into the impact of technology, and its significance for students’ futures before closing out his time by offering his deep gratitude to Latinitas, and their consistent efforts throughout the years, “I want to give a special thank you to my dear friends, my favorite nonprofit,” Velásquez smiles, “I’ll probably get in trouble for saying that, but my favorite nonprofit–Latinitas! Thank you for always, always always always, going above and beyond for our kiddos and our community.” And with that, the only thing left to do was start the distribution.
It was inspiring to see the faces of each family light up as they received their big box with the refurbished laptop and a complimentary backpack. Some families were wrangling energetic children the whole way there. The positive effects were immediate, as initially nervous glances gave way to true appreciation. I’m pretty certain some of these families thought the entire event was too good to be true, and only believed it once their laptops were safely in their hands. One by one, the families got their laptops and celebrated the exciting change with cheers, high fives, or gigglish grins. It was an impactful moment and a beautiful way to start the day.
Latinitas would like to thank all the sponsors of the event for making the day as incredible as it was, AT&T, Human-I-T, Norsan Media, and 99.3 Mexicanisima Austin.
