Every Friday, Anna can be found at Centro Latino in the Mission, assisting community members in Spanish and English at the computer lab. She has a strong passion for giving back to the community and believes this stems from growing up in Honduras, a country that is continuing to develop. Anna completed her education in the Bay Area, and now works for a tech company as a customer success manager.
In her time as a volunteer, Anna reflects, “You learn to become more patient. I’ve learned to simplify vocabulary that we use like ‘click and close’ down to ‘click on the red box.’ Communicating with the learners, and understanding their respective needs, is important, as well as your own self-awareness.”
Anna has helped individuals in the lab in various ways, from gaining access to information regarding immigration services to utilizing YouTube to learn how to speak English.
She recalls recently working with a 90-year-old learner who was eager to learn how to type. They started going through the different typing stages in the SF Connected program. It was clear that consistency paid off, as he moved from typing to other skills such as using Google search, Google Maps, and YouTube. He eventually brought in his own laptop and even learned to use his cellphone to send text messages to his daughters.
Anna recognizes that seniors seem to be a “forgotten” population and that closing the digital divide is necessary. “We have all these different services and information online, but what happens when many don’t know how to access it?” With the help of volunteers like Anna, CTN hopes to continue empowering community members through digital literacy.
