8-Year-Old Wins Tech Portfolio for Her School
An 8-year-old in East Los Angeles won her elementary
school a
portfolio of technology for its computer lab that will make it one of
the most
tech-savvy in its part of the city.
Dorris
Place Elementary School third-grader Gala
Lennane-Gordon wrote the winning essay in Ingram
Micro's Promise of Technology
Contest, in which students at K-12 public schools in six Southern
California
counties were asked to explain why their schools deserved the
equipment.
In her essay, Lennane-Gordon wrote, "I don't want us
to score
low and be labeled [negatively]. I want us to do our best and be
recognized for
how special we are."
As a consequence, the winner of the IT makeover will
receive a
wide variety of equipment and software, including 40 Chromebooks, 12
tablets,
at least five printers, five whiteboards, four floor carts, a charging
station
and 350 USB drives. Installation will be provided for all the equipment
as
well. The package is being provided by 12 sponsors ranging from Samsung and Xerox to
GeoVision,
Peerless-AV and NG IT Solutions.
The competition was organized by Ingram Micro, a
technology
distribution company.
"Serving the community is a vital part of our company
culture,"
said Ingram Micro Executive Vice President Paul Bay. "Getting to extend
the
love of technology to these children has been a truly memorable
experience."
Lennane-Gordon's essay went on to describe how her
school, at
which 80 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunch,
had
mostly malfunctioning and older equipment that made it difficult for
students
to prepare for standardized tests.
"We are over the moon about this," said Dorris Place
Principal
Susan D. Schmidt. "This is a terrific opportunity for our children."
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.