My son’s life was forever changed during and after Covid. His senior year, his college plans, and seemingly everything was impacted. Today I’m sharing his and our journey, highlighting Connectivity Changing Student’s Lives.
This post has been brought to you in partnership with T-Mobile, but as usual, all opinions are my own.
So many students’ lives changed after the pandemic and many are still suffering the consequences and adapting to this new reality.
I recently read a story shared by T-Mobile of students who faced serious challenges to their education during remote learning because of a lack of connectivity, and how the company is helping to support those in need to help close the digital divide through their Project 10Million initiative. It inspired me to share my family’s own story.
Let me walk you through my son’s journey, which is just one story among millions of students who had their lives drastically altered when everything went digital.
For me, the lockdown, school closures, and remote learning imposed a harsh reality on students who, like us, needed interaction and their community to thrive!
My son and many others had their anxiety and depression heightened by the lockdown and the imposed remote learning landscape.
The learning process through computer use highlighted technical problems both coming from the schools themselves and connectivity issues at the students’ homes, where many didn’t have reliable internet to support this new normal.
Anxiety and stress piled up in so many homes where parents lost their jobs and/or had to stay home with the kids.
Unfortunately, not having a computer, tablet or internet was a reality for many of those families.
Though school districts scrambled to provide support and got creative with expanding technology access during the pandemic’s onset, reports estimated that between 9 million and 12 million U.S. students still lacked adequate internet access at home for remote learning in 2021. Whether because they had no internet or an unsustainable connectivity option for the amount of work they were doing online, it wasn’t enough.
In our case, the problem was amplified due to the fact that my husband and I work from home in tech/internet-related businesses!
We did have the technology part of it, but the remote learning environment was not a good fit for my son’s mental health, and the challenges he was already facing were exacerbated by the isolation of having school at home.
The years 2020 and 2021 were some of the hardest years of our lives, I can say that for sure! He had no prom, no SAT scores, and almost no graduation in person, which we only had because it was outdoors.
We moved him from private school since his small Christian School did not have any tech structure to support remote learning. That also took a toll on him…another thing to be added to the equation. He moved in his junior year to public school for the first time in his life.
A lot to take in, right?
No last memories with the kids who grew up with him, no friends, and nothing to look back at and miss.
The pandemic took a toll on my son’s education journey, and we saw it continue from high school right onto his college campus, which quickly went into lockdown mode after 1400 cases of Covid were reported in one month.
He returned home after just a semester back to the dreaded remote learning where he was feeling stressed, anxious, and defeated.
Fast forward 2 years and he is back at a new university, but not in person.
Remote learning actually became the only option for him and so many other students, who are still navigating these uncharted waters, moving forward, and coping with anxiety and mental health issues.
My son’s story is just one of millions of students affected by the pandemic.
We’re so proud of him for continuing on in his journey despite these challenges and growing through the process. We’re also grateful that we have the tech structure and a reliable internet to support his goals and dreams.
It made me extremely happy as a parent and minority to learn about Coral Almazan’s story through T-Mobile, and how Project 10Million supported her.
Like my son, she navigated the uncertainty of the school learning process during the pandemic during high school and into her first college experience as well.
I was so moved by her story that I wanted to share some of my favorite moments which really resonated with our family story as well:
She was super grateful, that when remote learning came into place she received a hotspot from T-Mobile and was able to complete high school and then complete an associate’s degree in cybersecurity. She is now studying criminal justice at a university. She says that “it’s so crazy to think just a few years ago I was home alone with nothing but my laptop and a hotspot to do it!”
The article really gave me pause. I was really taken aback when it highlighted that: “As we head into the last months of 2023, it’s becoming obvious that almost four years since COVID forced students into fully remote education, and later for many into a hybrid model, that the students who had just started high school at that time are now starting college.
Students who were previously focused on SATs, college decisions, and proms in 2020 were suddenly thrust into a completely different high school experience. Many faced barriers that seemed insurmountable to graduating in the same secure standing they expected.”
Coral, like my son – a high school student at the time – was one of those students in Houston. She has been vocal about the importance of T-Mobile’s Project 10Million in her life. The program is a $10.7 billion nationwide initiative aimed at helping to close the digital divide in education by offering free internet connectivity and mobile hotspots to up to 10 million eligible student households.
“I didn’t think I would ever set foot into a physical campus again,” she says. It was that way for my son!
She continued:
“There were some really uncertain moments but I’m just so grateful and excited for what the future holds now. I’m not just the first one in my family to graduate high school, but to also receive an associate’s college degree and go to a university!”
I was extremely happy to learn that T-Mobile’s Project 10Million also offers school districts free and heavily subsidized data plans as well as access to affordable laptops and tablets!
By the end of 2022, the company provided $4.8 billion in services and connected more than 5.3 million students across the U.S. through Project 10Million and its other education initiatives, isn’t that amazing?
I’m moved reading about it and how T-Mobile has bridged the gap to meet such an important need and reduce the obstacles between a student and their education by helping them to grow and succeed.
The need for strong connectivity is here to stay!
Coral was the first in her family to obtain a college associate degree and it moves me as a Latina to see that Project 10Million is changing lives through connectivity for the betterment of our community!
She’s proud to be sharing her story now with a degree in cybersecurity in hand thanks much in part to the connectivity she had from the T-Mobile hotspot which allowed her to continue her education online.
I read her story to my son, to inspire him in his remote college journey, to keep going for his dreams!
My hope is that Coral, as the first in her family to go so far, will inspire others to accomplish their dreams as well!
Learn more about Project 10Million and register your school district or student for the program, by CLICKING HERE!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of my input on Connectivity Changing Students’ Lives.
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I work in a University and we worked so hard to ensure our students could continue to learn despite the challenges we all faced. Thanks for sharing your son’s story.
This is very interesting, it’s important to work on connectivity and make sure it changes us positively.
I know many who prefer remote learning, but they are usually older. I will say the idea of not having access to a computer, tablet, or the internet can be frustrating for many students trying to complete their school work. And on their parents as well.
I’ve often thought of the young people and how their lives were impacted by Covid. In my personal experience the under 20’s seem to have a wisdom beyond their years, and an acceptance of others greater than generations previous to them. I wonder if going through this hardship has sewn stronger empathy into their hearts?
If your son ever wanted to share his story I’d be delighted to feature him. My collection of stories for students from students from around the world in gaining popularity. If that’s something of interest, please reach out to me with the email I leave.
Thank you again for shedding light on the unique challenges faced my this generation. I really enjoyed your article.
Remote learning has done wonders for my son, it was a difficult choice for me if he was going to attend public school or to continue remote learning. I made the right choice. Now he is a senior in school.
Aaawwww….our boy is growing way bigger, mama! Love him more for that. (You got yourself a trustable bodyguard there). I love what T-Mobile is doing to connect the young learners with the rest of the world.
Lockdown was such a struggle for so many of us, but especially for students who’s social life and education was really harmed. Thank you for sharing your son’s story.
Connectivity was a struggle for a few of my friends at college. Luckily, I have my own network at home and college is just 10 minutes away. There were a few times my friends had to work extra hard at college due to an unstable connection at home. This is a great thing that T-Mobile is doing.
To help students and their education, T-Mobile created an extremely useful program. Thank you so much for sharing!
My youngest son got behind during covid. He didn’t do well at online school and I had to put him back in the classroom. Thankfully, he did catch up and pass. My oldest son graduated right after covid shit down everything. It was a crazy experience for sure. Hopefully, we don’t see any future lock downs.
A hot spot saved me during the pandemic. I had to take care of my mom out of state who was sick but she didn’t have or want internet. A hot spot allowed me to teach online while I cared for her. Glad your son is moving forward with his education. Sorry to hear about all of the changes and struggle due to COVID lockdowns.
I really appreciate the program T-Mobile has created to help reduce the obstacles for students and their education. COVID certainly changed everything with education.
I think what T-mobile is doing is wonderful, it’s commendable when large companies provide services like that for students in need!
It’s no joke the last effects and damage lock down did to so many of us especially the youths. I know friends who are still recovering from the impact it had…thanks for sharing your son’s story! Very inspiring and a great opportunity to help others.
I love that T-Mobile is helping get more kids connected like this. It’s going to help so many kids!
This heartfelt blog post resonates with the countless families whose lives were profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a testament to the resilience and adaptability of students like the author’s son, whose senior year and college plans were disrupted. The mention of T-Mobile’s Project 10Million initiative, aimed at bridging the digital divide, is a reminder that connectivity is pivotal in ensuring equal opportunities for all students. It’s a story of hope and community support, making a difference in the face of adversity.
So sad to think how the pandemic affected the students. Good thing T-mobile is a good help and was able to give opportunity to students.
t-mobile is a great network. wow congratulations on your graduations
I love what T-Mobile is doing. You can’t do much of anything in today’s world if you arent’ connected.
What a great story! I’m glad to hear that Coral & your son were able to navigate successfully through such a stressful time and are now doing well!
The lockdown affected my son big time as well. Glad he recovered. Kudos to T-Mobile for such a great program.
It was a difficult time for children. It’s great that TMobile is doing something to help.
Your son did a great job! So glad he continued. It is really amazing that T-mobile is so helpful for students like him.
I am impressed with this article. Clearly you were an active parent in helping your son overcome challenges during a difficult time. Kudos to TMobile also!
It is lovely to hear that t mobile are adressing this, it is a shame it took something like covid and lockdowns for this to happen. My daughter and a lot of people I know sufferred this through illness
Your personal story resonates deeply with the challenges many students and parents have faced during these uncertain times. Your narrative not only sheds light on the difficulties your son encountered during remote learning but also highlights the critical role that connectivity plays in students’ lives. It’s evident that your son’s experience is just one among millions of students whose lives have been altered by the digital shift brought about by the pandemic.
It really was such a tough time on them all, I think not being around their friends was so hard. We were lucky that my family bought them chromebooks to work on but other children didn’t have that.
Connectivity is such an important thing, especially in this digital age where there are so many tools to keep us informed. Interesting to read about this project.
I love that T-Mobile is able to help out. I’ve heard they do a lot of great things. I’m so glad that I am a T-Mobile customer too.
Remote learning was tough for my boys. They were super bored online.
This is so awesome that TMobile has this to help with education.
My son graduated in 2020 and he also had no prom and no real graduation. It was tough!
That sounds like a great project that T-Mobile has created and given opportunity to students, COVID really changed a lot of us, especially students.