Sam, 11th grade

Sam struggles with internet connection. Her school has limited internet access, and she can't even text her parents during class. There are only a few classrooms with internet, and the wifi was spotty at best. Even at home, Sam struggled to get a good connection. Depending on where she was in town, the wifi and cellular data were either reliable or expensive.

Despite the lack of internet access at school, Sam managed to finish all her homework before heading home. However, when the wifi went out during class, the teachers struggled to find ways to keep the students engaged. Some teachers still used paper, while others tried to work with the limited technology they had.

Doing homework at home was a nightmare, especially during COVID. Sam's bad wifi would take 30 seconds to load a page, making it impossible to complete assignments. If it weren't for data, Sam and her classmates would have fallen behind in their studies. However, Sam felt that the teachers weren't accommodating enough during the pandemic, often telling students that "it is what it is."

Despite the challenges, Sam persevered. She relied on data most of the time and made sure to finish her homework at school. Sam's love for learning never waned, even with the limited resources available to her.

* Names have been changed to protect the student’s identity