Celebrating Our Community Impact Award Winners

Every year we honor our service leaders with the Community Impact Awards. Recipients of this award represent members of our team who are having a positive impact in their communities and beyond.

Join us in celebrating the incredible volunteer work and dedication of three of our 2023 Community Impact Award Winners.

Mark Adams

Mark Adams had the virtues of volunteerism instilled in him at an early age. He wants to share the same virtues with the younger generation. He’s doing just that as the coordinator of the Arlington, Texas Sigma Beta Club, a mentoring organization for young men. “Our main focus is to help them develop into community leaders,” he said.

Mark particularly enjoys helping with the health programs of the Sigma Beta Club. These programs focus on healthy eating habits and exercise. A frequent participant in marathons himself, he includes several charity walks in the program.

Additionally, Mark and the Sigma Beta Club hold fundraisers and contribute to multiple organizations that help the local community. They’ve collaborated with other Arlington groups on toy drives, food drives, and many other community events.

Mark is most proud of their scholarship efforts. They’ve awarded over $14,000 in scholarships to high school seniors. Of the 16 recipients, all have earned a degree or are still in the process. They often return to volunteer with the next group of students, too. That last part is especially meaningful to Mark.

“I want to leave a legacy of community involvement and care for those in need,” he said. “I want our young men to use their talents to pay it forward for future generations.”

Jackie Jackson

Jackie’s passion is mentoring students and building bridges to possibilities. As the New Jersey AT&T Connected Learning mentor coordinator, she organizes volunteer efforts around the digital divide in her area.

Her community work has impacted the lives of hundreds of under-resourced students. She has helped raise funds for STEM scholarships and mentored students through several organizations focused on career education. “It gives me great joy seeing the expressions on students’ faces when they learn about new careers paths,” she said. “Sharing those possibilities with students opens new doors of opportunity for them.”

Jackie also leads volunteer efforts at a local food pantry. In addition to preparing groceries for families in need, she also shares information about the government’s Affordable Connectivity program. She said, “So many people don’t know about this great program that could really benefit from it. I’m happy to share information about it.”

Jackie’s work is proof that connection can change everything, from providing laptops to students who can’t afford them to educating those in need about helpful programs.

Ramesh Muthusamy

Ramesh is the leader of our AT&T Believes India efforts and motivates his colleagues to drive positive change in their community. With this organization, he has led several initiatives.

Much of the work done by Ramesh and AT&T Believes India is focused on youth outreach. As part of a partnership to bridge the digital divide, they distributed STEM kits to 200 schools and led eduction sessions to develop digital literacy skills that helped more than 2,500 under-resourced children. Another partnership was focused on providing eyeglasses and counseling on better eye health to over 750 students.

Ramesh is also dedication to environmental work. Organizing volunteers across three cities, his team made 8,000 seed balls which will grow into trees. His dedication to volunteerism insures the future will be bright for his community.