I had the pleasure of helping 130 deserving students prepare to head back to school at the United Way’s “Nine for 90” event at the Trinity River Mission in West Dallas. As a parent, I know back-to-school season can be stressful, with the extra demands and added expenses. But for single parents, unemployed parents or those with language barriers, school supply lists, medical appointments and uniform purchases can be overwhelming.
To help ease the back-to-school burden for deserving families, about 60 volunteers from TI joined with United Way, Atmos Energy, and Dallas Cowboys legend, Ed “Too Tall” Jones (he’s even taller in person) to put the spotlight on education and make learning fun for the students. We each paired up with a student and took them “shopping” for school supplies and then to different stations that offered dental screenings, medical support and other important resources for back to school.
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Dallas Cowboys legend Ed “Too Tall” Jones (center) with TI team members (left to right) John Szczsponik, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing; Trisha Cunningham, chief citizenship officer; Gail Chandler, community relations and communications director; Terri Grosh, employee engagement director; Ray Upton, vice president, Americas Sales & Marketing; Bing Xie,vice president of Worldwide Sales & Marketing, Peter Balyta, president, Education Technology; and Andy Smith, TI Foundation executive director. |
This was my first time volunteering with United Way, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew the basic agenda for the day: board a bus, pack school supplies for students and spend the day participating in different activities with my assigned student.
What I wasn’t expecting was to meet students like, Cynthia Simon, a junior at Skyline High School who hopes to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Cynthia had been borrowing a TI-Nspire CX handheld during the school day and staying late after school to complete her homework.
I had the pleasure of giving Cynthia her first TI-Nspire CX that she can use in her AP Calculus and AP Statistics classes at school, at home for her homework and during high-stakes exams. Cynthia, who aspires to be an engineer, couldn’t have been more grateful for our donation and said she’s actually excited to do homework now that she can use her TI-Nspire CX. Cynthia was just one of the impressive students we met at the Trinity River Mission who touched our team and reminded us why we work for TI and how important it is to give back.
The Trinity River Mission, where we volunteered, was founded on the belief that education connects us to life’s possibilities. As a former math teacher, I too believe that education has the ability to transform lives. We all need to work together to help students in classrooms today know that they can do it! They are our future and we need them to believe in themselves, set strong goals and never ever give up. Educating children is not just a school thing, it is a community responsibility!
I think I speak for the entire group of volunteers when I say we left the Trinity River Mission, prouder of ourselves and prouder of our company for helping provide disadvantaged students with many of the tools they need to succeed this school year. Working together, with United Way, we’re changing lives for the better and making our community a better place to work and live.
