As a quadriplegic and survivor of gun violence, I’ve learned that obstacles don’t define us – our response to them does. I founded AA8 Corporation in 2022 with a conviction born from personal experience: barriers should never determine a young person’s potential. Whether those barriers are physical, economic, or geographic, they can be overcome with the right support and access to opportunity. Growing up in rural North Carolina, I witnessed how talented students were held back not by lack of ability, but by lack of access to technology education and career pathways. Today, AA8 has grown from a grassroots vision into a comprehensive STEM education hub serving  hundreds participants across Granville, Vance, Person, and Franklin Counties. Through partnerships with Cisco, Futurology Tech, NC Cooperative Extension, and local community leaders, we’re proving that resilience and determination can transform not just individual lives, but entire communities. This work is deeply personal – because I know firsthand that the most powerful technology we can teach isn’t robotics or AI, it’s the belief that your circumstances don’t have to limit your future