"Toward the end of senior year I was ecstatic to be going away to Stony Brook University. I figured out how much financial aid I was receiving, and how much my family would have to pay, who my roommate would be, and knew it was a brand new start for me. The brand new start would not be complete if I hadn’t received a Dell laptop. A computer is a vital piece of equipment that I use every day while I am at college. Writing papers, accessing online data bases, emailing professors, and completing online assignments would all be much more difficult to do without my Dell laptop. Of course I am a college student, so catching up on television shows I missed, and listening to music are also functions I take advantage of. I know that without the help of Mr. and Mrs. Drechsler I would not have had the same opportunity to succeed in college as I had this year. Their gift was truly a life saver, one that I am sure more and more students each year need to receive much like I was a student who needed one. I have the greatest admiration for Mr. and Mrs. Drechsler for what they not only believe in, but what they make come true."

Steve Cruz, 2009 recipient from Yonkers High School

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Dear Mr. and Mrs. Drechsler,

My name is Steve Cruz and I am one of your June 2009 Dell laptop recipients. I am writing to you to let you know how much your donation affected my life.

In July of 2008 my father who was a carpenter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought an enormous battle, attended chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and back again to chemotherapy. While he was strong, and courageous, and had the support of family and friends alike, he passed away on June 7, 2009 at the age of 48. This obviously left my family in the deepest of sorrows. I am the oldest child and went away to college in August, my mother who is a housekeeper continues to work and raise my 16 year old brother. The amount of support and outreach my family received and continues to receive is an unbelievable amount.

The gift that I received from your foundation is not only a tool that every college student needs, but a reminder that there is always a way. Obviously I use my Dell laptop every day, writing papers, doing research, access to online books, completing online homework assignments, among the countless functions the computer is capable of. But every day I turn on my laptop I am recalled of the day I received it, that while I was extremely saddened by the loss of my father, that two strangers stepped up and gave me a lending hand. Every time I touch my laptop I am recalled that there is always a way.

I hope that with sharing my story with you, I have given you even more reason and pride for what you and your foundation are providing to the young lives that you touch. I would love to keep in touch with you over the years and keep you updated on my journey throughout college and life. I would also love to be kept updated with the status of your foundation, and work with you to help bring even more laptops to more students.

Best wishes throughout the holidays and the New Year!

Yours truly,

Steve Cruz