How a Teen’s Passion for Computers Led Him to Help Hundreds, Including Ukrainian Refugees
Sam Nadol’s Reboot PC project provides free computers to those in need, transforming lives
Sam Nadol has always enjoyed taking things apart to see how they work. In sixth grade, he was poking around inside an old family computer, taking it apart and putting it back together. It was so much fun that he started visiting the local Westchester, New York, recycling center for broken computers and spare parts he could use to fix them. In time, the 12-year-old had eight refurbished computers.
Not needing them, Sam put them up for sale on Craigslist for $20. Within the hour, all eight were spoken for and Sam thought, There’s a need here.
Sam used the money he earned to buy more parts so he could resurrect more PCs. He sold many of them, but he knew there were some people who didn’t have the $20 to spare.
In 2019 when Sam entered high school, he discovered they had a grant for students who wanted to start a community project. He drew up a plan and named it Reboot PC and was awarded $600 to get started!
If you need a computer and can’t afford one visit RebootPC.org, he posted on Facebook. Along with requests for computers, Sam was surprised to begin receiving donations.
The timing was perfect, because when COVID struck, the need for home computers doubled, then doubled again.
When local businessman Roger Battacharia heard about Sam’s work, he reached out. “I volunteer with Ossining Padres Hispanos—we help the Hispanic community with education and job training,” he explained. “We sure could use a few PCs.”
Sam was happy to supply a dozen desktop computers, which the organization used to teach people how to use software to job search and manage money.
Roger also put Sam in touch with Home Run Against Drugs, where they help teens avoid alcohol and drug use.
“Sam brings computers where they’re desperately needed,” says Roger, who also arranged for a local bank to donate 100 computers when they upgraded their network. “That would have been another several thousand pounds of electronics in a landfill.”
This fall, after sending his 500th computer to Ukrainian refugees in Brooklyn, Sam began his freshman year at Purdue, where he’s majoring in computer engineering.
“I get thank-you letters from recipients saying my computer helped them get a job or keep in touch with family,” he says. “Being able to make an impact in people’s lives is the most rewarding part of what I do.”
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