Digital Literacy
May 19, 2022

Teacher Appreciation Week — Spotlight on Wade

Teacher Appreciation Week — Spotlight on Wade
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Wade has been around for 66 years, “so I’ve got a lot of background,” he says. And indeed, he does. With a doctorate in psychology from West Virginia University, Wade initially considered pursuing a full-time career in academia. However, with a minor in computer science, he found opportunities in the booming tech industry at the time. Wade decided to diversify his career, combining his love for working with computing systems—particularly healthcare information systems—as a consultant, while also teaching classes at various institutions, including the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and now at his local Brunswick Community College. Most of his teaching was as an adjunct professor, and he recently joined the GetSetUp team as a Guide in March.

A Mission-Driven Career

“One of the problems with adjunct professors is there is no work in the summer. My dad will be 91 this year, and I think I attribute his health to the fact that he never retired. My intention is to never retire, so I was looking for something to complement my community college teaching when I found GetSetUp. I wanted something I found interesting, rewarding, and challenging. At this age, it’s more about the mission than the money. I liked the mission about helping others feel better: to find a career via LinkedIn or have their virtual happy hour. It seemed very rewarding, and it has been.”

Currently, Wade teaches other seniors like him about Zoom, Gmail, and How to Stay Calm during Stressful Times. He’s also adding new classes, such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to his roster. In addition to his work with GetSetUp, Wade continues to teach at the community college, which transitioned to online classes during the pandemic. This made him a natural fit to help train teachers in remote learning tools specific to the classroom.

Helping Seniors Thrive with Technology

Wade’s favorite class to teach is Zoom. “So many different people are taking it for so many different reasons. There were two married couples in one of my classes. One of them wanted to have a virtual book club, and one wanted virtual meetings with their family. They were feeling cut off. They had been on Zoom calls before but never set one up. They figured out how to be the host, and that was a lot of fun. I think a lot of the students have used some of the tools but really want to use them more, especially during this time. Our classes give them capabilities. Seniors are not going to learn on YouTube; 70-year-olds aren’t comfortable with it. They want someone to teach them, and I think that is a niche we are filling for that demographic.”

Appreciating Wade’s Contributions

We want to give a special thanks to Wade for teaching a variety of our classes, from maintaining strong mental health in difficult times to helping teachers adapt to remote learning. His patience, empathy, and support have helped students feel confident in new skills and abilities despite the challenges they may be facing right now. We appreciate his hard work and dedication!