Jacob Komar: there's some of Goofus and Gallant in us all. When the Gallant shines through, we show our best self.

Publication: Highlights for Children
Date: Monday, November 1 2004

Jacob Komar spent a recent afternoon sweeping out his family's garage. That's the sort of chore Jacob is eager to do around the Connecticut home where he lives with his parents and his younger sister, Ana.

After all, Jacob is a big reason why the garage needed sweeping. Until recently, it served as a warehouse and repair center for his stockpile of computers.

"The garage was loaded," says Jacob's mom. "There was no room for a car."

But Jacob's parents were happy to give up their garage to support their son's efforts. Because of his talent and his desire to help others, Jacob has given restored computers to more than one hundred families. He has also trained the families to use them.

"I was at my sister's school one day a couple of years ago, and a custodian mentioned that the school was throwing out about fifty old computers," says Jacob, who was nine years old at the time. "On the way home, I started thinking that there must be lots of kids who don't have computers." School officials gave Jacob permission to take the computers home. Soon he was taking them apart and installing new hardware.

"When I was two, my mom had a laptop computer, and she bought me a Mario game and showed me how to load the disc," Jacob says. "That's my first memory of using a computer."

Mrs. Komar was teaching computer classes at the time. "Jacob would sit on my lap when I was at the computer. He was fascinated by it."

By age five, Jacob was reading all of his mom's computer books. By eight, he could disassemble computers and improve them.

Jacob receives many calls from organizations that want to start programs like his "Computers for Communities" in their areas. So his next venture is to begin a training service to teach others what he has learned.

Jacob Komar, who is now twelve, has some extraordinary gifts. And he believes in giving back. Highlights for Children is proud to know this Gallant Kid.