Lisa M. Hamilton Memorial Scholarship

In ten years, I think technology will be everywhere, but I don’t think the most important question is how advanced it becomes. The bigger question is whether it actually helps people. Technology can make life easier, faster, and more connected, but it can also leave people behind when it assumes everyone already understands how to use it. I first started thinking about this through my elderly neighbor, Tom. Obligation, not eagerness, first sent me to his door. My mom had “volunteered” my tech skills, and at first I thought I was just helping him with his phone. But over time, teaching Tom how to send texts, check the Ravens score, track his health, and use Zillow became something much bigger. I realized that independence often comes down to small steps designed around what someone actually cares about. Tom taught me that technology is not useful just because it exists. It is useful when someone can understand it, trust it, and use it without feeling embarrassed or dependent on someone else. A sticky note with three simple steps could sometimes matter more than a complicated app update. In ten years, I hope technology becomes more like that: powerful, but also clearer, more personal, and easier for people to use. I have seen a different side of technology at The Ritz-Carlton. In hospitality, systems can track guest preferences, organize requests, and help employees remember details. But the technology is only valuable if people use it with attention. Remembering someone’s name, noticing what they need before they ask, or understanding how to explain something clearly still matters. Technology may become smarter, but people will still decide whether it creates care or just convenience. That is where I see technology heading in the next decade. Artificial intelligence and automation will become a bigger part of business, healthcare, education, and daily life. But the companies and communities that use technology best will be the ones that keep people at the center. Technology should not just replace human effort. It should help people make better decisions, communicate more clearly, and solve problems that used to feel out of reach. Because I am interested in business and economics, I also think technology will shape opportunity. Businesses will use data and AI to move faster, but they will also have a responsibility to make sure those tools do not widen the gaps that already exist. I am interested in how businesses and economic policies shape access in everyday life, especially for people who don’t always have the time, resources, or knowledge to advocate for themselves. In ten years, I hope technology does not just become more impressive. I hope it becomes more human. The best technology should help an older adult stay independent, help a student find resources, help a worker make better decisions, or help a business understand people more clearly. To me, the future of technology is not just about what machines can do. It is about what people can do better because of them.