Mohamed got the computer — which also benefited his family — through Computers to Youth, a student-led CU program that provides surplus computers to underrepresented high school students. Mohamed, who now directs the program, is a sophomore studying physics.
The program, which is trying to raise $10,000, has given away around 400 computers, monitors and supplies since 2005.
Computers to Youth serves a dual purpose: it "bridges the digital divide" for many students, Mohamed said, while also keeping computers out of landfills.
"The way we do that is by taking recycled computers from corporations, put new software in them and then give students a chance to come learn about computers and take one home," Mohamed, 20, said. "We educate them on how to correctly dispose of it when they're done, and it gives them that push and that urge to come to college."
The high schoolers spend a Saturday on campus working with computers and interacting with current CU students.
At the end of the day, they take home a free computer.
"They'll be leaving and get the computer in their hands and just not believe it," Mohamed said. "'Are you guys really giving this to me?' Some of them start crying. It's really something they want and need and it's so easy to take from one person's trash dump and clean it up a little and give it to them."
CU student mentors check in with them after the workshop.
For many students who go through the program, college wasn't always a clear option. The college mentors, often students who themselves benefited from Computers to Youth in high school, make CU's large campus feel welcoming.
"Students feel comfortable and less intimidated than they otherwise would at a large university," said Jack DeBell, development director for CU's Environmental Center, which supports Computers to Youth. "The simple act of being encouraged by college students, sometimes from their own high school or similarly underserved communities, that makes our program exceptional."
For many students, taking home a computer means no more long nights at the school computer lab or public library. It might help a younger brother or sister, too, and even their parents.
The access to computers and mentorship also encourages many of the high school students to pursue studies in engineering, science and math.
"A day on campus demystifies a lot of those subjects and provides a portal for them," DeBell said.
©2015 the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.)
