Applied computer science junior Christopher Carter has been building computers since he was a child. (Photo by Murphy Bannerman)When Christopher Carter received his first Apple computer, he took it apart but was unable to rebuild it. However, at 8 years old, Carter dismantled his second computer, rebuilt it from recycled parts and increased its memory.
He started looking into Internet servers at age 10. By 13, he was able to build his own server and knew what IP addresses and Internet protocols were.
“I’m the biggest nerd I know,” Carter said.
His friends call him a "tech nerd" and come to him with computer-related questions or for spare parts, Carter said.
Carter, an applied computer sciences junior, said his dream job is to work for Apple.
He was interviewed multiple times before he received his current job at the Polytechnic campus's Computer Commons.
“The job I have now is not just a job for me," he said. "It is my career. It’s exactly where I want to be."
His job includes resolving issues and answering questions. Although he is familiar with software, he specializes in hardware, networking, web development and assistive technology.
Carter uses assistive technology,such as speech recognition software that converts anything he says into computer text, almost every day. Carter has cerebral palsy and is mainly confined to a wheelchair. He has difficulty typing and writing.
Cerebral palsy is an inborn condition, not a disease, Carter said. He recalled an incident at Corona del Sol High School where the school nurse incorrectly told him he needed the school's help because of his disease.
After graduating from Corona del Sol High School in 2010, an assistant tech from the Tempe Union High School District asked Carter to teach special education juniors and seniors how to use assistive technology and the difference between technologies offered at college as opposed to a high school.
“It was really quite an experience teaching these kids about assistive technology that they never even knew existed,” Carter said.
Carter said he transferred to ASU, because he felt that he was not receiving the support he needed at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. ASU costs more, he said, but the resources and support the University provides outweighed the increased tuition.
“Coming from someone who has multiple learning disabilities, the more support I have, the much better chance I have to succeed in life and be able to earn a degree," Carter said. "It might take me 10, 15 years, but I really don’t care how long it takes me, as long as I have the right mind to go to school.”
Carter is taking nine credits at ASU and three at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Besides graduating, he said he also dreams of being able to drive someday.
Although he passed a clinical evaluation certifying him as physically fit to drive, it would cost him $150,000 for himto drive because of vehicle modifications and driver training.
He would rather use that money to focus on school, he said.
“After I graduate, I plan to be like everyone else,” he said.
For Carter, that means having a job, a family, and a home with a few modifications.
Carter's girlfriend, special education and elementary education sophomore Alyssa Kraft, said Carter was surprised when he first learned she was majoring in special education.
“He always tells me that I’m going to be a great teacher someday,” she said.
Carter and Kraft met at a pizza party in the beginning of the fall 2012 semester and soon became best friends. They became a couple earlier on St. Patrick's Day.
Steven Carter, Christopher Carter’s father, said his son is determined and adventurous.
“He hasn’t said ‘no’ to anything yet,” Steven said.
Reach the reporter at smande17@asu.edu or follow @SarahDeAnderson
