In the summer of 2011, a young Adan Gonzalez sat on the sidewalk outside a McDonald’s, balancing a borrowed laptop on his knees, trying to type and read in a language he was just beginning to learn. The free WiFi from the fast-food chain was his lifeline as he submitted applications for scholarships and colleges—dreaming of a future far beyond the streets of Dallas.
Gonzalez, a son of two Mexican immigrants, both of whom worked multiple jobs, was raised in a one-room apartment shared with his parents and three siblings in South Oak Cliff. “We often didn’t have electricity, heat, or air conditioning,” Gonzales says. “All of us slept on the floor many nights.”
Being raised in a family that lived paycheck-to-paycheck helped to inspire him. Even as a child, Gonzalez applied himself to his studies, not to quiet the urging of his parents but to better himself and his family. “Education was my way out,” he says.
Through sheer determination and grit, Gonzalez was admitted to Georgetown University, where he became a national champion boxer. From there, he was named a White House Fellow and worked for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
Today, 13 years after tapping into the free WiFi at McDonald’s, Gonzalez is giving back to his community in a monumental way. Fueled by the challenges he faced as a student, he founded Puede Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education, leadership, and athletics opportunities to underprivileged kids in North Texas.
The organization has provided an essential lifeline for those it serves. With the help of Dallas-based AT&T, it launched the Connected Learning Center, offering critical internet access and educational tools to students in underserved communities. AT&T also provided a $50,000 contribution for programming support.
As this most recent new school year got underway, Gonzalez and AT&T CEO John Stankey hosted a laptop distribution event that provided hundreds of students with the technological tools they need to succeed. Provided by Compudopt and funded by AT&T, it’s all part of Puede Network’s larger effort to provide more than 20,000 students across the country with essentials like laptops, backpacks, and school supplies.
Gonzalez’s story captures the importance of connectivity, says Charlene Lake, chief corporate responsibility officer at AT&T. “Connecting people to greater possibility is at the core of what we do,” she says. “Connectivity is crucial, whether it’s a student applying to college, a parent applying for a better job, or a family using it to stay in touch.”
The Puede Network Connected Learning Center is one of four in Dallas and one of 14 in Texas supported by AT&T. The company launched the CLCs as part of an initiative called AT&T Connected, which addresses the digital divide through investments in internet accessibility, affordability, and the safe adoption of technology. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau stats, almost 2.8 million households and 7 million people in Texas lack broadband access.
As part of the laptop distribution event, AT&T employees contributed handwritten cards of encouragement, ensuring the students had both the equipment and the motivation to dream big. Says Gonzalez, “There is no more incredible feeling than helping others help themselves.”
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