Power of Children: Dale Pedzinski

The men and women who use the Horizon House don't normally have access to computers but now when they leave the center they have a new tool. Power of Children winner Dale Pedzinski started a computer tutoring class.

"It's a little difficult because my generation is so like we pick it up very quickly. So there are a lot of steps that we take for granted that they don't know how to do," explained Pedzinski.

Last year, he started the "Thumb Drives for Homeless" project when he was a senior at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.

Dale would volunteer every Saturday tutoring at Horizon, but he wanted to take the training to the next level.

"They were still operating on 3-1/2inch floppy discs which weren't exactly very portable and they broke very easily," said Pedzinski.

He applied for a United Way grant and the $4,500 he received allowed him to buy thumb drives.

"It gives them a very efficient and portable way to carry their electronics stuff like their resumes and cover letters. And anything they worked on in class with them."

As a freshman now at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Pedzinski continues to oversee that people who use the Horizon House will have access to computer training and the resources available to help them get on track to an independent life.

"When they come in and say "I got a job" and they're so ecstatic and just excited. It just makes your day better and makes it worth it going down every Saturday," said Pedzinski.

Cheri Halstead, who nominated Pedzinski added, "He's learning through his experiences that he's not only sharing an empowerment through the technological instruction that they're gaining but he's also empowering them through the one-on-one interaction." That's the power of children.