by Anne Miller –
Well, that was embarrassing. As Cole Elder described to me the unquestioning, often careless, ways internet users get computer viruses, I saw myself! Cole Elder is graduating from Parkland Secondary School this year. His interests are software and technologies, particularly cyber security, and he is acutely aware of the threats by hackers to individuals, governments and business. Cole is passionate about helping people understand the risks of using the internet. We discussed the pervasive presence of hackers yet, Cole reminds us, it’s not difficult to prevent such invasions. He explains: “We teach kids how to wash their hands; we should also be teaching them how to browse safely.” Cole feels this awareness is critical.
Not only is Cole very bright and capable with technology, he also has outstanding social skills and values. Since elementary school, he has been enthusiastically and freely passing along his knowledge within his school and wider community and feels good about volunteering his time and expertise. Cole loves the problem-solving aspects of computer challenges and digs in until he finds a solution. While giving to others, he enjoys the fact that he’s also exercising his mind.
Cole entered high school with a self-taught proficiency in electrical music production and video so was able to fill a need there in the musical theatre program. He volunteers at events to set up its computerized sound systems while teaching the staff how to do it for themselves.
Furthermore, his guidance counsellor facilitated a connection between him and community seniors needing basic help with computer tasks, a link that fostered his own business. He gets great satisfaction in coaching more self-reliant users. He repeats the classic saying: “‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ That’s ultimately what I believe tech support should be.”
As if that’s not enough to do for a young man preparing to graduate and who fits in friends and video gaming, Cole has been an integral part of the UVic Centre for Autism Research, Technology and Education since eighth grade. Using a gaming app designed to help autistic children recognize faces and emotions, Cole’s role has been to break the game in order to make improvements – which led to him acquiring the name “Crasher”. He sees the children he works with as a little bit different in a very good way, and fostering their skill sets through this educational game helps to make them more capable people.
Cole is clear about his future. He plans to establish his own consulting firm offering expertise in cyber security or “ethical hacking,” as he calls it. It’s like playing the devil’s advocate: working to break the system in order to identify its flaws before there’s a problem.
He never stops learning. Cole spends some of his free time (what? He has free time?) learning about social psychology. He is intrigued how internet users are exploited through various platforms on the web simply because they are seduced into trusting – and therein lies our vulnerability.
Always the thinker, Cole believes our society must enhance internet literacy. He strongly believes that as we move through this era of widespread internet use, we must be aware of threats and learn how to protect ourselves. His commitment to making a difference in these ways is admirable and reassuring – and a gift to us all.
Anne Miller is a personal
historian, saving lives in books.
For more information visit www.annemiller.ca.
