50 Jacksonville Students “Tee Up” Their Futures With New Technology

As pro golfers prepared to tee off at THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, 50 local Duval County students visited the PGA TOUR Global Home for a special treat. These future-focused teens got to have inspiring conversations, meaningful networking opportunities and see a showcase of career opportunities in the sports industry and beyond. 

During their visit, the students experienced some amazing moments like swinging a club at TPC Sawgrass’s famed 17th hole and visiting the Golf Channel Set. They also attended a program which included remarks from Lee Smith, Executive Director at THE PLAYERS Championship, and Leroy Butler, former Safety at the Green Bay Packers, who is a Jacksonville native.

Little did they know though, THE PLAYERS recruited Comcast to help surprise the teenagers. Jen Boyett, Comcast’s Director of Government Affairs in Northeast Florida, announced to the group each student would be going home with a brand new laptop on behalf of Comcast Business.

“The surprise on the students’ faces when we announced our laptop donation was incredible. They were so excited about the new computers they got to bring home,” Boyett said. “These high schoolers are so focused on their goals and it was clear by their reactions that these laptops will make a big impact on their futures.”

Jill Fierle is the Director of Career and Technical Education at Duval County Public Schools. She was present for the big surprise and moved by the donation from Comcast. She said seeing the excitement on the student’s faces was an emotional experience.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our students. They did not know they were receiving the laptops, and the pure joy and excitement on their faces when the gift was announced brought us all to tears,” said Fierle. “These students are starting to prepare for life after graduation and are making very important decisions about their futures. Having their own laptop provides them with a very valuable resource they can use in navigating these next steps and making decisions.”

Fierle also shared how the donation impacted one of the high school seniors.

“One student, who has worked very hard in her academic career to this point, was very moved,” Fierle said. “As she shed a couple of tears, she exclaimed that she knew she’d need a laptop for her next chapter in life in college but didn’t know how she’d get one.”