North Shore Towers resident Elise Alarimo is helping other residents improve their computer skills as part of a business with her father.
With E&J Computers, Alarimo handles the educational aspect of assisting clients with their computers while her father, Joe, takes care of hardware support.
Through her work, Alarimo has had many success stories. Just one of those successes is Building Three resident Lilly Cohen, who Alarimo described as her “star pupil.”
Cohen described herself as being “a little phobic about technology.” She explained that technology had always been more her husband’s domain since he loved it and she did not take to it naturally. At one of her jobs, Cohen began learning about computers, but stuck to what she had to know to get her work done.
When Cohen decided that she did want to learn more, she said she tried classes and worked with other instructors one-on-one. However, she did not have much success with them since they did not take the time to really explain it to her.
Finally, Cohen grabbed a flyer she had lying around about Alarimo’s services and gave her a call. She said that Alarimo was calm, relaxed and patient, which better enabled Cohen to learn.
“She really appreciates that we’re getting into something new for many old people,” Cohen said. She continued, “She’s given me much more confidence on the computer. She’s like a comfort zone.”
Alarimo said that she feels it is important for her clients to understand the language of the computer, what to do and why they are doing, rather than just memorizing the steps. Since every student is an individual, she said that she focuses on their goals and teaches them at a pace that is comfortable for them.
“To me, you’re never too old to learn,” Alarimo said.
When Cohen first began working with Alarimo, it was to learn more about word processing programs. Although she knew the basics, there were still other features that Cohen wanted to learn about. Alarimo said that Cohen has now gone from a beginner’s level to an intermediate level.
Also, Cohen has learned about creating file folders on her computer to organize information and scan documents. Alarimo said that they are working on going paperless and converting paper documents Cohen has saved into electronic ones.
“It [the computer] can allow you to do a million things,” said Cohen, adding that being good at using the computer can make life simpler. “It opens up the world to you.”
Alarimo, who also makes herself available to help with troubleshooting over the phone, said that she gets great satisfaction from hearing of her clients’ successes.
“Your new life is a click away on the computer,” Alarimo said.
For more information on Alarimo or her services, contact her at 718-224-2332 or 516-263-6009.
