From Kansas to Guatemala: MIS Students Make a Global Impact

“It was the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.”

“It was life changing.”

“I know this is what I want to do for my career.”

Those are some of the thoughts conveyed by five K-State Management Information Systems (MIS) students in Madhav Sharma’s MIS 667: MIS Capstone class. These students recently completed work toward their capstone project that saw them pour hours of work into restoring 26 laptops which they then delivered to Panajachel, Guatemala, in partnership with the Porch de Salomon project through Wamego United Methodist Church.

The MIS students, Noah Biswell, Overland Park; Jacob Powers, De Soto,; Calvin Delich, Iola; Tyler Bontrager, McPherson; and Carter Seth, Lyndon, spent four hours a week for more than a month working on the laptops that had been donated by the K-State College of Business and by members of the Wamego United Methodist Church. The church funded the project with their “sponsor a laptop” fundraiser. Each sponsorship of $100 enabled the group to purchase equipment needed to restore the laptops, which all came with a bag, a mouse, and headphones.

One of the most difficult aspects of the project was finding proper parts for multiple makes and models of the laptops. It required a great deal of research to figure out how to make the laptops function on Windows 10, and then parts were scouted from eBay.

The MIS students also sharpened their problem-solving skills through this project. “The biggest challenge was preparing laptops for kids who didn’t speak English, which went beyond simply changing the computer’s language,” explained Noah. “Every necessary software also had to be adjusted, and ensuring everything functioned correctly took time. However, this was essential to guarantee that every recipient had the same training experience.”

The students who traveled to Guatemala, Noah, Jacob, and Calvin, oversaw distribution of the laptops to eager students and taught them how to care for and use the equipment. The K-State students relied on a local translator, but even that saw its difficulties due to the technical aspect of the project and because of the diversity of the dialects.

While many of the recipients had never touched a computer before, a few did have prior experience. “We wanted to get them connected to Google,” said Noah. “From there, they could just take off and look up anything they were interested in.”

The Guatemalan students ranged in ages from elementary through high school. One student, a 26-year-old ninth grader, has a goal of going to college. The laptop she received will help her accomplish her goals.

“It felt good to help in the process of improving their lives,” said Tyler, who provided support for the group from Manhattan. “The entire project made me appreciative of my education.”

The group who traveled to Guatemala also spent two days helping build a house and enjoyed site-seeing excursions, including a challenging hike up the San Pedro volcano.

This marks the third year K-State MIS students have taken laptops to Guatemala, and in total 60 laptops have been distributed. While some of this year’s 26 laptops were donated by the College of Business, many were donated by individuals in the community. According to the students who participated in this project, an ideal situation is to have several of the same type of laptop donated simultaneously. If you or your organization would like to donate used laptops to future capstone projects, please contact Michael Raine at maraine@ksu.edu.

The K-State MIS major equips students with the technical and analytical skills needed to develop digital solutions for businesses. MIS professionals play a critical role in managing systems applications, data management tools, and technology-driven business processes. This program provides a strong foundation in both technology and business, preparing students to help organizations improve efficiency, make data-driven decisions, and solve complex problems using digital solutions, anywhere in the world. Learn more about the MIS program here.