Technology in and Out of the Classroom by Alexia

Technology in and Out of the Classroom by Alexia - November 2025 Scholarship Essay

Access to technology is something that I have thankfully never had to struggle with. Throughout my middle and high school years a laptop was provided to the students throughout my school district. In the beginning, this was out of necessity from the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it was kept as our school and curriculum became more digitized than ever before. Even now, as a college freshman, my school has given me a laptop and Ipad to utilize as I was a part of the Swarthmore Summer Scholars Program.
Never before have I been more thankful than now for how accessible technology has been throughout my educational journey. There are tools and skills I have learned, being able to learn how to use certain computer programs, such as Excel, or Powerpoint from my engineering classes and statistics classes. There are also experiences though, such as the HSF summer program, that I wouldn’t have been able to take part in without this access to technology. Despite some of these experiences being outside of the classroom, I feel that it shaped my academic journey. With these programs and experiences, I have been able to strive for greatness and success in my classes. It has given me motivation to not only succeed but to go beyond.
Understanding that my experience with technology, both in and out of the classroom, is not universal is essential to creating more accessibility. In our society, technology is what is breeding success. By allowing people to explore and diversify their options, students are motivated to work hard in their classes. These students are allowed to dream beyond what is in front of them, and it creates an air of excitement in the classroom. This is why I want to expand this accessibility, so that all students can positively associate their classroom with technology, as a means of passing the perceived barriers of your environment.