PVHS student volunteers technology hours for seniors

Pequea Valley senior Regan Donecker makes quite an impression. She is a varsity athlete, president of the Student Council and performs at the top of her class academically. Regan is also the “go to” person when leaders are needed from the student body. Regan has been a member of Apple Core, Pequea Valley’s student technology team that assists the school’s one-to-one laptop initiative, since eighth grade. She worked the last two summers updating the school’s iPads and laptops, getting technology ready for students and teachers for the upcoming school year. Regan’s passion for helping others, along with many phone calls from grandparents needing assistance with smart phones, guided her to develop her own internship. Regan contacted the social director of Tel Hai Retirement Community in Honey Brook and met with their Senior Advisory Committee to launch her plan of holding technology hours for the residents. Every Saturday, Regan brings about five students, also Apple Core members, who volunteer their time helping residents with technology issues they are experiencing. Tel Hai’s social director sends Regan an email the latter part of the week with a list of residents and a description of the technology issue, allowing her to know how many student volunteers will be needed that weekend. They have helped the residents with such issues as texting, email, printer connections and cyber security. Regan believes that the Pequea Valley technology program has made a great impact in the school’s learning environment: “It’s time to reach out and volunteer and use our program to benefit others. There’s a lot of benefit and growth to be made when it comes to community.”