PRINCETON — Thanks to the technologically-inclined students in the Mercer County Technical Education Center's computer engineering program, eight lucky county students received the gift of an entirely refurbished, like-new computer this week.

It all started earlier this school year, when the MCTEC center began receiving computer donations for the J104.5 Keystrokes for Kids program in which the school has participated in years past. When that offering was discontinued this year, MCTEC Student Recruitment and Retention Specialist Donna Kincaid-Standifur says, school leaders were left wondering what to do with the donations.

“John Ramsey, our computer engineer instructor, came to me and said that we had seven computers, and wondered what we could do with them,” she said. “I said, 'Well, we have eight middle schools here in the county; wouldn't it be nice if, as a follow-up to the tours we hosted for middle school students in December, we could give one computer to each school?' So, when we got the eighth computer, we decided to do just that; give a computer to each middle school principal to give away to a student who doesn't have a computer but could use one.”

Thursday, those refurbished desktop computers were disseminated to the principals, who were given entire control over the decision as to which of their students would receive the valuable gift.

“We really didn't have any preference as to who got them, just as long as they didn't already have a computer and as long as the principal knew it would help that individual student or their family,” said Standifur. “After bringing middle school students here in December for tours of the center, I just think this is a good way to introduce the students to the MCTEC center and make them aware of some of the things we have to offer here.”

In addition, she says, it was a great hands-on learning experience for the high school students in the computer engineering program, and one that taught them a life lesson in generosity, as well.

“I think this really transforms these students, because at first, they're just looking at it as a school assignment,” she said. “As they worked on refurbishing the computers and realized what they were working towards, though, I think it became more a way to better themselves than a learning task. My purpose with this is to actually bring the students refurbishing the computers together with the principals, and I'm hoping it can be kind of a character education experience, where they're not only learning but doing a valuable service to the community, as well.”

The students, who presented the principals with the computers Thursday, say they felt the effects of that service more and more as they got further into the intense refurbishing process.

“It was rewarding,” said Corey Blankenship, of Princeton Senior High School.

“It felt good,” added John Gusler, also of Princeton Senior High School, whose father donated several of the computers to be refurbished. “There aren't many opportunities where you really get to do something for the kids or the community, and we got to give them these computers.”

As for Ramsey, he believes the process served two purposes equally well for his students. First, they received the in-depth chance to learn many of the complexities of computer operation. And, perhaps even more importantly, they got to do something for students without the technological luxuries that they may have come to take for granted in their own lives.

“These students really had to do computer diagnostics here,” he said. “They had to check out every part, because nothing could fail, and they had to entirely re-install the software on each of these computers. It was the whole deal, and they all came out like new. They even put games on the computers for the kids, and they did very well with the whole thing. All of us have computers; we're all nerds, and I don't think these kids can fathom somebody not having a computer. That's why it was so good for them to be able to do this.”

Standifur hopes it will become an annual experience for the students in Ramsey's computer engineering program.

“If we get the computers, we'd love to do this every year,” she said. “It's just a win-win situation for everyone.”

Computers or other technological equipment can be dropped off at the MCTEC center anytime during business hours. For more information, call (304) 425-9551.

— Contact CharLy Markwart at cmarkwart@ptonline.net.