Parker’s Story: Using Technology to Make the World a Better Place

Parker’s early education at HTS laid the foundation for an inspiring career in tech.

As an elementary school student at HTS, Parker saw technology help his nonverbal classmates communicate. This experience was transformative—it opened his eyes to the ways technology could help people overcome human limitations and later inspired him to get a degree in computer science from Santa Clara University. 

While Parker was developing a passion for technology at HTS, he was also learning invaluable social-emotional skills and making lifelong friendships. The combination of his outstanding academic education, empowering view of technology, and empathetic view of people has made him a leader and an innovator.

He is currently using his programming skills to support nonprofit organizations that promote the inclusion of people with disabilities. 

Read on to learn more about Parker’s empowering experience with technology and inclusion at HTS.

What are you up to since your enrollment at HTS? 

I graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Computer Science and currently have a job as a computer programmer and digital marketer.

What’s one word you would use to describe your academic experience at HTS? Why?

Holistic. I was both challenged academically and had the chance to grow socially. My peers and I were treated in the classroom not as just students, but as whole individuals. Our learning was customized to each of our needs, and we were taught to respect one another. Regardless of skills or needs, we learned to work together and learned to be friends with everyone.

What did you learn about empathy and friendship at HTS?

HTS taught me to value the people around me, regardless of any difference in ability. It also taught me to be curious, understanding that everybody is unique and has their own story. This curiosity has been long-standing — I still have in me the curiosity and interest to ask questions and understand people, both of which were fostered during my time at HTS.

If you had to choose one, what would be your favorite thing about your experience at HTS?

I treasure my time at HTS because it introduced to me at such a young age the possibilities that come with technology. This inspired and motivated me to study computer science in college, fueled by the vision of helping people like my nonverbal friends to be able to communicate effectively through the use of technology. 

How do you think your HTS education prepared you for college, work, or other aspects of life after graduation?

HTS laid a great foundation of using technology to learn. I saw my peers using their computers or devices to learn new things and test themselves on it, and this made me want to do the same. I had a lot of fun learning how to use technology to help me in school, not just for entertainment. It also inspired me to be a leader on my campuses and in my communities, so I can be a catalyst for inclusion to the people around me. This both led me to and prepared me for leadership internships in college, where it was clear how much my social education from HTS stuck with me over the years.

HTS also did a great job instilling in me the importance of building relationships with both classmates and teachers/professors. Collaborating and working together early on in elementary school made it easy for me to later go on into college and create study groups, and after college to work together effectively with the people on my team.