Dear 85th Texas Legislative Session:

I am a senior at Roma High School and a member of the South Texas Youth Congress.

When I entered elementary school the iPhone was announced. Six years ago last January the iPad was introduced. I was in middle school at the time. These devices touched off change which continues to transform how we communicate, connect, and learn.

My generation is told that we are “Twenty First Century Learners.” But I don’t feel like one. My high school, like many others, finds it difficult to meet the goals and promise we are required to achieve. It is not their fault. I have wonderful teachers who work to prepare us.

In my mind the twenty first century means having the resources that match up to the expectations we are asked to meet.

I imagine a classroom where we are connected with others to collaborate, to work on a common projects, to explore and innovate. We can not do this with outdated technology, with broadband restrictions. This is a disadvantage which lessens our ability to be robust contributors to progress and the tax base.

We have a proposal, we call iSol—SB 2123 before the 85th Texas Legislative Session. It’s an initiative to connect our schools with fiber optics which will truly make us “Twenty First Century Learners” and workforce ready!

I urge our state representatives to do the right thing and place us on the right side of innovation, opportunity and progress.

Kassandra Garcia

Roma High School Roma, Texas