Tech-savvy teen: Hamilton High student revives Kids First computer lab

When Jody Rigby got tired of fighting with his brother for time on the computer, he did what any computer expert would do – he created a network in his home.

By ROD DANIEL Staff Reporter

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That was several years ago, and today the 17-year-old Hamilton High School junior-to-be has a job running the computer lab at Kids First. And according to William Moffitt, a patron of the five-day-a-week, 10-computer lab at Westview Center, Rigby’s patience and soft-spoken expertise make him the ideal person for the job.

"Before Jody came to Kids First, the computers wouldn’t work, we couldn’t get into Yahoo and we couldn’t get on the Internet," Moffitt said. "His presence at Kids First resurrected the computer lab."

Rigby was hired by Kids First last May after the organization contacted Hamilton High’s School-to-Work officer Becky Brough in search of someone to update their Web site, run the computer lab and teach beginning computer classes. Rigby had done an internship with Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, and Brough recommended him for the job.

Kids First staff member Kevin Santa Maria said hiring Rigby was a win for virtually everyone involved.

"He’s got that lab rockin’ and rollin’, and since he’s worked here he’s developed personal skills that have made him a good teacher," Santa Maria said. "He works with seniors, moms and dads, and children, and he deals well with all of them. He’s also made himself available for computer classes five nights a week."

Not only has Rigby benefited the lab and its patrons, he said, but he’s helped the staff of Kids First with their computer needs.

"He’s been able to help us with our Internet needs, and he helped us with our Web site," he said. "What a blessing he’s been. It’s like having our own in-house computer technician."

Rigby, who said he’s mostly self-taught except for taking a few basic computer classes at school, said the first thing he did upon starting at Kids First was clean up the 10 computers at the lab.

"I had to get rid of a bunch of spam and a lot of spyware," he said. "I found 16 viruses on one computer."

After getting the machines in the lab in good working order, Rigby’s next task was teaching a beginning computer class to people one-on-one, a job that required him to be very patient.

"I’ve had to develop my people skills," he said. "We start with the basics, and we try to schedule it so the student is the only one in the lab. We did it once a week when I started, but now it’s every day."

Rigby said he’s always enjoyed working with computers, and one of his first projects was creating a computer network at home.

"I set my house up on a network with four computers," he said, "so now everyone can work on what they want when they need to. Before, my brother and I were always fighting over who got to use the Internet. It’s just a hobby."

Running the free lab, he said, has helped him hone his own computer skills and also has helped him decide to pursue his hobby as a career.

"I’ve been thinking of college," he said. "I think I’d like to study at Montana Tech since they have a 100 percent job placement rate. I’d like to study either computer engineering or network administration."

For Moffitt, seeing Rigby in action at the lab made him realize what a special kid he is.

"I’ve watched him and he always has a smile and he’s always patient," Moffitt said. "And he’s not afraid to take on anything."

Rigby actually solved a computer problem for Moffitt that had baffled a handful of experts.

"We had an old Apple computer at Dr. Binder’s office that people at work had tried to get going," he said. "We had four educated people working on it, and we even took it Missoula, but no one could fix it."

After trying to get the computer working for two-and-half months, Moffitt’s co-workers finally threw up their hands.

"Nobody could find a solution," he said. "They gave it to me because it was a black hole."

Moffitt said he took the computer down to Kids First and, in 15 minutes, Rigby solved the problem.

"Jody determined that it needed a special dial-up modum," he said. "Then he found one second-hand on eBay for $21.95. So for 22 bucks and 15 minutes of his time, he solved a problem that none of us could solve."

Moffitt said Rigby has impressed him as someone who’s not afraid to take on a difficult task, and he sees him as a role model for other kids in the community.

"Here’s a kid who hasn’t been handed things on a silver spoon," he said. "But he’s not sitting around complaining, he’s out there making things work."

Santa Maria concurred that Rigby has a special gift, and one thing that pleases him about having hired him is seeing the young man grow in his professionalism.

"He’s talking about higher education, and he’s excited about pursuing computers as a career," he said. "He’s going to be a successful professional."

The Kids First Computer lab is open to anyone, free of charge, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.