When therapist Elexenia Moya reached out with a request for computers for elementary school students from underserved communities, Palm Beach Atlantic was happy to help.
Moya is a mental health therapist at University Preparatory Academy, a West Palm Beach charter school for 330-plus students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The school’s mission is to serve students by closing the achievement gap and providing a college preparatory education. Moya, who graduated from PBA with her Master of Science in mental health counseling in 2018, provides counseling to the school’s students, parents and teachers.
The majority of University Preparatory Academy students did not have a computer at home for e-learning. Moya and her colleagues, led by STEM Program Director Vasantha Siva, began an initiative to secure donated computers so that the students’ learning is not interrupted. Live, remote classes resume Monday, Aug. 31.
“Our children are our future and the future of the world,” they wrote. “We all need to help our children continue with their education so that they may be successful in the present and the future.”
Elexenia Moya, left, is a two-time PBA graduate and mental health counselor. She asked if PBA could donate computers for low-income students at her school to do their distance learning, and PBA gave 30 computers. Moya, who earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from PBA in 2015, reached out to Alumni Relations on Instagram to see if the University could help meet the need for computers.
Alumni Relations Coordinator Katie Gentry forwarded the request to Phillip Major, associate vice president for Campus Information Services (CIS); Jason Thomas, director of CIS; and Marius Paraschiv, PC Tech, who jumped in.
In July, the University Preparatory Academy picked up 30 computers — just in time for the start of the school year.
Wrote Moya: “We are grateful and thankful for everyone’s generosity and donations, helping us come closer to closing the gap and helping our students continue to obtain their education.”
