Gene Denton 16

As a student and a person living day-to-day in my community, technological literacy sticks out like a sore thumb as a key issue that needs to be addressed. Over the past few decades, technology has advanced rapidly, and while my school district has been quick to adapt by providing students with technology, it’s been slow to follow that up with an equal amount of technological training. From keeping dozens of tabs open to not knowing how to properly use email, the large majority of students are not aware of how to best use their tools to their best capability. 

The problem extends past school, too, to our everyday lives. I work part-time at Taco Bell as a Service Champion, and the amount of people who fail to comprehend how to use basic technology is staggering — so are the demographics themselves. It isn’t just old people, as one would expect, but younger people, too. People shy away from using automatic kiosks to put in their orders out of a combination of not understanding how to use them and also not being willing enough to use them, and I point to a lack of technological literacy education as the cause for the overwhelming attitude.

To help with that, after high school, I plan to go to school for a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, a field I’m passionate about that goes hand-in-hand with how intertwined technology is in our everyday lives. With a degree in Computer Science, I will have the knowledge and skills to construct ideas that can directly address the technological illiteracy in my community, like helping to develop educational software, creating online resources, and working with local schools to improve their engineering curriculum. I have firsthand experience with that, as I always felt that the classes offered at my school that were geared towards tech were always lacking, or not as in-depth as they could be.

On top of fighting technological literacy, my education in Computer Science can also help address other pressing issues in our community. As the biggest global event to recently hit home, the COVID-19 pandemic clearly highlighted the importance of technology in healthcare. With a degree in computer science, I could develop and implement solutions that can help healthcare professionals provide more efficient and effective care to patients. Developing software to streamline patient records, creating mobile applications that enable remote patient monitoring, developing algorithms that can analyze medical data to identify patterns and trends — if there was any way for me to help my community, technology is it.

Furthermore, my education in Computer Science can also help address issues related to climate change, a global challenge that affects my community, too. I could develop software that helps businesses track and reduce their carbon footprint, create algorithms that predict and advise people on how much energy they use, or even develop simulations that can help us understand the impact of different climate policies.

To achieve these high goals, I plan to attend a four-year university close to my community itself. During my studies, I will take courses in programming, data structures, algorithms, and other fundamental concepts in computer science. I also plan to participate in research and internships to gain practical experience in developing and implementing technology-based solutions.

In conclusion, after completing my degree, I plan to work with local businesses and schools to address the technological literacy in my community by providing educational resources and designing products that are easy to learn and understand for the common person. By working together, we can create a brighter future for our community and ensure that everyone has access to the education and tools they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.