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Teresa Frazier, 67, of North Loop Apartments, was the 100th HACA resident to receive a free refurbished computer donated by Austin Community College. She earned the device after completing Austin Pathways’ Tech Starters computer class taught by Austin Free-Net.
Teresa said she used to be afraid of computers, but Tech Starters helped her overcome her fear. She’s since expanded her horizons via the internet, and says she feels more connected to the her past and the present.
“It’s so uplifting,” she said. “The sky’s the limit.”
Teresa enjoys using Google to reminisce and research the places she traveled as a child. The daughter of migrant farmworkers, Teresa and her parents spent years following crops from the Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas, to Washington State.
“We traveled as far north as Canada,” she said. “We went to Mount Rainier and Chelan Lake. The pictures are set in my mind. Now that I Googled Mount Rainier, I want to go over there to visit my family and the area.”
Her newfound computer skills also have allowed her to become more active in her community. She registered online for a library card and takes frequent trips to gather new books. She is even considering taking writing classes through Badgerdog so she can document and share her childhood adventures.
“It’s like I woke up,” she said. “I’m more apt to being out there than just sitting at home. It’s a whole new world!”