Shawn Williams, Great Bend High School class of 1987, hasn’t forgotten where he came from or his alma mater. And he’s encouraging others to follow his lead.
Williams, information technology manager at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, helped USD 428 secure 40 used computers, valued at about $20,000, for use at the high school and middle school. He is in charge of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s donation program.
“NASA has a requirement to donate to educational programs targeted toward math and science and Great Bend schools meet that requirement,” Williams said. “My role in this has been more of a facilitator, but I’m happy to be able to target my home town.”
Ryan Axman, USD 428’s technologies coordinator, said Great Bend High School students will be the beneficiaries of 15 of the computers in the science department to upgrade existing equipment.
“These upgrades will enable them to better utilize the chemistry curriculum that joins computers and specialty equipment to monitor and diagnose experiments,” Axman said.
Great Bend Middle School will receive the other 25 computers to complement the math and science rooms, he said, “in order to increase research availability and run the computerized math and science programs available to the school district.”
Lockheed-Martin is one of the major contracts for NASA and provides computers to the agency. The computers have been wiped clean of any data.
Williams works at the Kennedy Space Center where he is involved in the Office Desktop Initiative for NASA project. Through this, NASA upgrades its computers on a three-year cycle and donates the old ones to schools.
Just two years ago, Williams helped USD 428 secure 50 computers in the same program. Williams explained that since Great Bend is so far removed from any government contracts, it is difficult for these donations to happen. However, once the first deal is struck, the district is on the list.
“It makes you eligible for more,” he said, noting the potential – depending on need – is to receive computers once or twice a year.
“I hope this could encourage other alumni to donate back to the school system in whatever means is possible,” Williams said. |
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