Building Computers, Building Futures: Connecting Students with Tech and Opportunity

09-10-2026

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SAN ANTONIO, TX — They sat down in front of a pile of parts. Six hours later, with the help of industry experts and mentors, they'd each built a high-performance gaming computer that they got to take home, for keeps, at no cost to them.

The second Computer Build, presented by the Kelly Heritage Foundation, Port San Antonio's affiliated nonprofit, was a rousing success. One hundred San Antonio High School students spent a recent Saturday inside the Boeing Center at Tech Port, building computers from scratch to use for school, for gaming and for creative work.

Each student left with a full package worth roughly $2,000: high-performance gaming PC, peripherals, and, for those who needed it, a hotspot providing internet access.

Technology partners and mentors included AMD, one of the world's leading semiconductor companies, Starforge Systems, XFX, and Bitspower, along with the Alamo chapter of AFCEA, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.

"These high-performance machines have an applicable role in helping their career and academic pathways," said Will Garrett, Port San Antonio's Vice President of Talent and Technology Development. "Our campus, our industry partners, and our community came together to make sure these students leave here with more than a computer — they leave with a connection to what's possible."

During the event, the students put their classroom training into practice as they were each given a kit that they assembled during The Kelly Heritage Foundation helps to connect people with learning and eventual career paths in advanced technologies growing on the Port campus and across the region, such as cybersecurity/information technology, aerospace, robotics, advanced manufacturing, national defense and space exploration.

Students were chosen from schools across the San Antonio region, selected through a short application process.

For many, the day was their first encounter with the inside of a computer, and they were guided every step of the way by a team of expert builders and industry mentors.

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Leading the build from the main stage was Justin Robey, a nationally renowned PC builder and streamer who livestreamed the event to hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitch and YouTube.

For Julianna Campbell, the day was a first. "I have never built a PC before," she said. "I really like how it's understandable for us to build computers too. If you're looking into the Computer Build program, definitely apply. It's really fun."