Gifted and Talented / Anthony Pierson

Anthony Pierson, Travis High School

Student Bio

Anthony is a member of his school’s Computer Science UIL team and has volunteered with National Music Honor Society to guide beginner orchestra students towards the path to success.

Through the GT Mentorship program, he mentored with Mr. Michael Hunt at a local software company called NITCO in Katy, Texas, which is focused on automating business and manufacturing tasks using a Cloud Platform, Robotic Process Automation, Digital Labor and Artificial Intelligence. He worked with Mr. Hunt to learn extensive web development knowledge, and researched the macro effects of real world events on the digital world.

In fall of 2020, Anthony is planning to attend Texas A&M University College of Engineering and major in Computer Science. His dream is to develop unique neural network architectures that use unconventional methods and ideas to outperform traditional architectures.

Mentor Business

Nitco, Inc.

Mentor

Michael Hunt

NITCO Inc., is a technology services company, headquartered in Houston, Texas, with a global footprint. Its team of business analysts, developers and engineers have expertise in RPA, AI, ML, Cloud Services, App Development & Integration, Infrastructure designs and implementation. The foundation of the leadership team is technical expertise with diverse industries, a winning combination that keeps us focused on client success throughout the digital transformation process.

Nitco, Inc.

Project Abstract

A well-connected population is essential to maintaining a healthy economy. The digital divide is “the gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.” This digital divide is particularly stark between rural and urban groups, as well as between lower-income and higher-income groups. It provides a barrier to economic mobility, and and makes basic needs like filing taxes or checking bank balances much more difficult. In early 2020, many stay-at-home orders were mandated, as well as work-from-home orders for those who were fortunate enough to keep their jobs during the crisis. However, this at-home activity requires both computers and an Internet connection, which exacerbates the issues associated with the digital divide. It is important to understand how COVID-19 impacts this population, as well as the steps that are being taken to mitigate the digital divide.

View Anthony's Video Presentation!

Please take a moment to scroll down and leave a comment for Anthony!

28 Comments

Anonymous on May 9, 2020

Great presentation Anthony! I appreciate your insight and for bringing to light the reality that there is still great disparity in terms of access to technology even within our country. It's crazy to me how technology has become such an integral part of our lives in such a short amount of time. Thank you for your presentation! - Brandon H.
Anonymous on May 8, 2020

This is a topic that has been on my mind in recent weeks to say the least. I am grateful to know that there are not underlying implications behind a persons access to Internet and there success in life. This relevant research paints the picture though of what needs to be done in order to make sure that never becomes a reality though. Great Job. Jacob R
Anonymous on May 8, 2020

In recent weeks, this has been one of the things on my mind regarding online schooling. How are children getting the education they deserve if they don’t have access to that information. Furthermore, that relationship is explained greatly on your part through your research regarding the relationship of internet connection and income. I was surprised that your initial hypothesis was incorrect, but your explanation made it clear as to why that occurred. Great job on an incredibly important and relevant topic.
Anonymous on May 8, 2020

Insha- The highlighting of accessibility in this project made it very relevant in today's society and just in general. I think that socioeconomic factors were an obvious answer but your project peered into the specific details and how they linked together. I think your project raises may concerns on how to create a more equitable platform for internet accessibility
Anonymous on May 5, 2020

Anthony, it was a pleasure for NITCO to serve as a mentor to you. Our partnership with Ft. Bend ISD is one of many initiatives by NITCO to help support our community. Regrettably, there are many students even within the Houston metro area who do not have computers or access to the Internet due to socio-economic issues. The silver lining of the recent COVID-19 is the realization of so much technological needs within our own community. At NITCO, we are trying to do our part in helping others. Thank you especially for recognizing Michael Hunt, he is one of our shining stars at NITCO. Great job on your presentation!
Anonymous on May 4, 2020

Nice
Anonymous on May 1, 2020

I really liked how clear your presentation was, and how you took us step-by-step through your research process. The data you collected and analyzed was very interesting, especially because the information you put forward is very relevant to the impact of the pandemic on our society. Great job! -Rachel K.
- Anonymous on May 2, 2020
  
  Your presentation was detailed and walked me through your research very clearly. It's a very interesting topic in light of the recent coronavirus pandemic. Good job! - Hakim M.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Your presentation was wonderful, Anthony! Thank you for sharing these conclusions with us. I wonder how this data will change, if at all, after we are finished socially distancing from this global pandemic.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

You're so right about how overhead costs disincentivize communications companies and contribute to the digital divide! This is such important analysis, especially during the current circumstances! Nice work, Anthony :) - Bhaavya
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Your presentation was very information and given our current situation the digital divide is becoming more and more and issue. I think that we all of this has past one thing that we do need to look is closing this digital divide that exist.
Betty Roberts on April 30, 2020

Anthony, Your very through presentation is fantastic. I agree with your findings and am interested in seeing how this pandemic will close the digital divide. Keep up your hard work!
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Great use of graphs, easily understood and concrete evidence.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

I enjoyed your presentation. It was very informative. I agree that we should all work to make the internet and the information access that it provides to those who need it most. You have a great speaking voice that lends itself well to presentations.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Fantastic job! I do think we need to bridge the gap between rural and urban. I also found it interesting that households would cut other media before the internet. I think that says someone about the day and age that we live in because it's our only way to stay connected. I do hope that one day there is high quality internet for all at a low cost! Great job on this presentation.
Michele Fish on April 30, 2020

Thank you so much Anthony - You have done a fantastic job here with your presentation and research! It is true how disconnected individuals can become and divided when technology is not available or within reach to all. The world we live in today is centered about internet and technology. You have such a bright future ahead of you - keep reaching out and learning to discover!!
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

It is difficult to anticipate all the factors that affect internet and technology availability in different communities. Your report was well researched and shed light on things to be considered.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

This is great information Anthony! As a teacher I wondered about this gap and how it would affect our learning community.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Anthony, I was interested in the economic connection to the digital divide. Connectivity really is an important contribution to personal growth and development. The challenge, of course, is the role politics plays in bridging the divide (government budgeting, etc.) and how to provide universal connectivity in a free enterprise system. It is interesting that internet access seems to be a high priority across socio-economic groups, but urban and rural contribute heavily to the digital divide. Interesting work, Anthony. Thanks for sharing what you learned.
Vicky Carty on April 30, 2020

This is a great topic to explore! I work at a campus that has a 93% economically disadvantage population. We are noticing with the switch to the online learning platform, that some of our students still do not have access to internet or a device at their residence. Being at least a month in to online learning, it reveals how different everyone's circumstance is. I was just talking to a teacher at another campus about the situation and she suggested that we need some type of community Wi-Fi that is open to the public. That way, it can make strides to leveling the playing fields. Great topic to look into!
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

First of all, congratulations on being accepted into Texas A&M University College of Engineering! Whoop! I enjoyed your informative presentation. I am a teacher in FBISD. My students and I have struggled together with the implementation of online learning. Internet access and access to technology greatly hampered many of my student’s ability to be successful. Your presentation relates wonderfully to our current situation. Best wishes on your future studies.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Hi Anthony. You made some very interesting points. In this day of technology its unfathomable that there may be citizens who have never even had access to any technology.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

You did an amazing job on your presentation. Your findings show that we still have a long way to go to ensure that all Americans are given the same technology access regardless of their address.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Your topic is particularly timely during this time of online learning due to the global pandemic! I completely agree with you that access to the internet is important for all and have thought for a while (but especially now) how internet access should almost be viewed as a standard required utility like power or water. Great research and presentation - nice job!
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

The research that was contained in your presentation was interesting. I enjoyed it and agree with your findings. I believe that we as a society should focus on closing the digital divide. The direction that our world is headed, we must focus on increasing the technological abilities along with internet access among the entire population in all areas. You have a bright future and I wish you best of luck in your continued studies.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Hi Anthony-nicely stated. Since this pandemic-it has been shocking to find working adults without proper technology or updated technology. Not to say that anyone has to have this- as I do not. However, the fact is that work environments provide equipment and other materials that their employees will need at work in order to complete their duties. Working from home is considered the new norm for everyone and internet access and technology equipment has been a hot commodity. Thank you for raising more awareness with this and good luck.
Anonymous on April 30, 2020

Great presentation! I agree that the digital divide greatly impacts certain communities. I am interested to see how ISPs and community leaders are going to move forward as we continue to work from home. Programs like SNAP are wonderful and I look forward to see how the digital divide is closed more and more in the future. Great job!
Anonymous on April 29, 2020

I enjoyed your informative presentation and research on the disparities in technology access. I agree with you that it is important for all individuals to have access to internet especially during this time period of social distancing, working from home and online schooling. Our leaders should continue to strive to remove those barriers to technology access in our world today. Thank you for your interesting presentation!