This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful to connect
10 ways that broadband connectivity improves our lives
On Thursday, many of us will gather around the dinner table and share a few words about the things we’re grateful for. In the spirit of this tradition, the Connect Humanity team recently paused to reflect on why we’re grateful for connectivity. It’s the internet’s power to change lives for the better—and the reality that millions across the nation and billions globally still lack reliable access—that inspires us to get up and go to work every morning.
So, this Thanksgiving, we’re sharing some of the stories we heard from our team, friends, and partners, highlighting how internet access improves our lives every day, in big and small ways. Unfortunately, these opportunities are still beyond the reach of too many. So, after some necessary rest, when the plates have been cleared, we’ll grab a turkey sandwich and get back to work—fighting to ensure that no one is left behind.
Building my career while balancing family
Thanks to having an internet connection, I was able to take classes online after becoming a mother. The ability to continue my education while balancing life as a single parent led me to graduate—and even earn an additional degree. Now, in my role at SOAR, I work with so many students trying to get skills and devices for college so it all comes back full circle.
Ashley Smith, Digital Navigator, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)
Giving me precious time with my grandmother
I’m thankful for connectivity because it allows me to stay in touch with my family all over the world. And especially my beloved 93-year-old grandmother Lygia Novaes in São Paulo, Brazil, who has the digital skills to use FaceTime!
Sarah Brown-Campello, Community Engagement Manager, Connect Humanity
Keeping arts and music alive during lockdown
Connectivity plays an important role in keeping music and arts communities together and preserving traditions. Thanks to a high-speed fiber connection, I was able to continue teaching fiddle students during lockdown and even participate in virtual concerts organized by regional arts organizations like the Augusta Heritage Center. They worked hard to ensure artists had the equipment they needed to stay connected with students, fellow musicians, and the public. Before our son was born, we took a COVID camping trip, and thanks to technology and public Wi-Fi, I taught a cultural session on West Virginia old-time fiddler tunes from the parking lot of the Yellowstone welcome center!
Annie Stroud, Broadband Program Director, Generation West Virginia
Photo by Evan Fedorko
Bringing good jobs closer to home
For years, I worked in low-wage retail until I landed a better-paying job with a tax-services company. But the 60-mile daily commute drained my time and money. Getting connected to high-speed internet changed everything. I secured a remote customer service role with Apple, complete with good pay and benefits—and now I can work from home right here in East Carroll!
Latanya Gray Swift, Resident, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
Breaking language barriers
I was in the Peace Corps when Google Translate was launched. Going from not being able to communicate with anyone to suddenly having a simple, free tool which allowed me to have conversations with those around me was mind-blowing and life-changing. I remember sitting around with colleagues and my host family, giggling as we finally understood each other for the first time. It was so, so awesome.
Rian Wanstreet, Grants and Compliance Operations Manager, Connect Humanity
Helping me be a better Dad
Every day as I’m finishing the workday, I go quickly into dad-mode where dinner needs to be on the table by a certain time. I’m thankful I can send AI a bunch of ingredients already in my refrigerator to give me a recipe I can make in 15 minutes. I’m thankful I can always find resources to become a better parent, whether that’s googling how to best manage a tantrum or asking about whether certain symptoms warrant an urgent care visit. I’m thankful my children have access to edutainment apps that are helping them learn to count, write, and read… and more importantly, enjoy that learning process. I am thankful for broadband helping me be a better dad.
Brian Vo, Chief Investment Officer, Connect Humanity
Keeping my students on track
I was a school teacher when schools shifted to remote learning during Covid. When my student Nathan stopped showing up to classes, I called his mother to find out what was going on and she told me they only had dialup too slow for video calls. They weren’t the only ones. That’s when a group of us residents got together and formed a broadband taskforce through Delta Interfaith to do something about the state of our internet. The first thing we did was secure free satellite internet for all our K-12 families so students like Nathan didn’t miss out on crucial years of their education.
Wanda Manning, Retired Teacher, Delta Interfaith
Balancing work & life
My COVID travels were a reminder of what it’s like to live without reliable connectivity. Over two and a half years I covered nine states, 46 towns, 25 national parks, and countless Airbnbs—mostly in small towns where reliable internet was hard to come by. The connection was often so slow that my partner Ben and I had to coordinate our schedules to avoid overlapping video calls. For important meetings, we’d disconnect all other devices just to make it work. Streaming Netflix? Forget it. And working during a storm? Don’t even get me started! Now, I’m grateful to live in a town with fast, reliable internet. I don’t have to think twice about whose work schedule takes priority—Ben and I can both just work when we need to. It makes a huge difference.
Erica Mesker, Chief Development & Operating Officer, Connect Humanity
Finding my life’s calling
I’m grateful for the opportunity to witness the internet’s evolution and see how it has impacted people—both for better and worse. That perspective shaped my life’s calling: to be a connector, helping others find their way forward through broadband technologies. It’s no small thing to discover something that truly inspires you. For me, the internet sparks a continuous sense of wonder and a love of discovery that drives my passion to make a difference. It has been like a sibling in my life—sometimes we wrestle over how things should be, and other times we work harmoniously to achieve great things.
Samantha Schartman, Program Director, Connect Humanity
Meeting face-to-face when far apart
Whether working remotely, being a parent on a work trip, or staying in touch with family thousands of miles away, video calls have been incredibly important. The opportunity to see how someone is doing, not just hear a disembodied voice, may feel like it will never fully replace the opportunity to sit down with someone but it has made an incredible difference. A privilege most of us—pretty much anyone reading this—will take for granted. Something to be thankful for and a gift to try and share with all those who are still unconnected.
Chris Worman, Board Member, Connect Humanity
These stories remind us of the many ways internet access improves our every day—helping parents, students, artists, and entire communities thrive. But they also highlight the work that remains.
As you reflect on what you’re grateful for this thanksgiving, please consider supporting our work on closing the digital divide to ensure everyone has the chance to share in the benefits of connectivity.
Donate today and join us in the fight to ensure no one is left behind.
Keep in touch
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