Tenderloin Tech Lab Says Goodbye to Julia Cowan

The Tenderloin Tech Lab benefits each year from the contributions of a Jesuit Volunteer, who along with hundreds of others across the country, volunteer for a year in a service organization.  Julia Cowan joined the Tech Lab team in August 2014 as the volunteer Instructional Coordinator.  She taught classes and workshops, coordinated our teachers and teaching assistants, welcomed and got to know Tech Lab guests at the front desk and helped many of our guests feel more comfortable with computers and build their skills.  Leo Stillinger, a 5-week volunteer Guest Associate, Tutor and Teacher Assistant, sat down to interview Julia about her year.

What will you remember most about your year at St. Anthony’s?

I will remember the guests most, and also the community of St Anthony’s, which is very unique; it’s as close to a classless society as I can imagine with the staff, guests, volunteers, guys in the job training program. I’ll remember that most.

What did you learn this past year?

I’ve learned that just the littlest bit of interaction, smiles, willingness to help and be open to anyone and everybody is so important, whether it’s in the classroom or just for the guests who are coming in, just smiling and saying hello. Having that respect and dignity for each member of our community is something that you can think about and prepare for, but actually being here and witnessing it is something I can carry with me for the rest of my life.

What made you choose San Francisco for your year of service?

I actually didn’t have a choice of city, but rather the placement of program in the city, and St. Anthony’s stood out to me for many reasons: access to technology is really an important need for all people and the Tenderloin, which I had heard, you know, a lot of things about, and is very densely populated with homeless and low income people, has an interesting dynamic in the city that has been the center of the tech boom – so that dynamic was something I was interested in and wanted to learn more about.

What was your favorite part of volunteering at the Tech Lab?

My favorite part was teaching, because I got to know the groups of individuals on a deeper level. An interesting part of St. Anthony’s is this sense of community, and how learning is reciprocal: we all learn together, I enjoy sharing my knowledge of computer skills, but the class was not limited to just my knowledge: I also enjoyed learn from students and guests about their own experience with technology, and also just their lives.

Would you do it all again?

A hundred percent! And I hope to reconnect with the Tech Lab someday, or carry on its mission elsewhere.