By: Bessie Liu

When Josue De Paz received his first computer as a child, his life changed forever. Growing up in a single family home, Josue’s mother worked multiple jobs so that she could purchase a personal laptop and dial-up internet for him. 

Josue’s laptop allowed him to excel at school. He received full scholarships to both his high school and university, changing the entire trajectory of his life. Knowing the possibilities that technology could bring, Josue built First Tech Fund, and this is his story.

According to the Pew Research Centre more than 15% of school aged children in the United States do not have access to high speed internet in their homes and majority of these students come from Black and Hispanic households.

Bessie is a multimedia journalist who is originally from Melbourne, Australia. She worked as a management consultant for a little over two years before changing careers to journalism. She has reported on stories related to social justice, businesses, and the environment.