Stephanie Suriel helping a parent in computer lab

I  always knew that I was interested in uplifting my community. However,  it wasn’t until a rainy Saturday morning on March 13, 2010 that I realized how passionate I am about giving back. This event was a Girls Technology Conference with Comp2Kids and The Children’s Aid Society that featured The Parris Foundation at Fannie Lou Hamer High School in the Bronx. I remember getting up that morning with a sense of motivation to help. The funny thing is that the weather was horrible that day; there was a small rain storm . I took a cab to this school anticipating helping out in distributing computers, but it was so much more! It was sharing my knowledge with my community. I didn’t know what to expect. I simply thought that we were going to hand out computers, but I helped translate to Spanish-speaking parents within the community, taught them how to set-up email accounts, taught them the basics of using Microsoft office, and showed them that it’s not too late to learn how to use technology. I truly felt blessed to have woken up that morning to help others. From 8:30AM-3:00PM I not only volunteered, but committed to serving a selfless act to the betterment of the community.  The feeling I got when I helped others was indescribable.

I am happy to share my story and I am excited about where this organization will head in the future.

~Stephanie