There was a little boy of eight years old back in the year 2020. The little boy was deafblind meaning he was profoundly deaf with minimal light perception. He had never been to school before and I'd never been a teacher. Yet there we were on our very first day together at Perkins School for the Blind: Deafblind Program. I walked into the building terrified that day. Quite frankly, I was incredibly underqualified. I had no sign language and had never met a blind person yet I was expected to be a hands on teaching assistant to deafblind children with multiple disabilities. I took a breath, remembering what my friend said when she asked me to apply: “You were literally made for this, you’re going to love these kids.” My classroom was described as “about 8 students with varying needs around 6-10 years old. They’re very fun…a bit of a manipulative bunch.” I sat next to the little boy when he was finished his snack. We were both a little scared and a little confused that first day but I had that little boy’s back and I always will. We were in this new world together like partners in crime and that’s where we’d stay for the next four years. From there I was thrown into the deep end. We were understaffed so I spent the next four months asking questions and figuring things out as I went. I’ve now worked with every student in our program in a variety of settings. From playing the role of ‘classroom jester’ to strategically implementing activities to increase communication, managing behaviors and giving these students every ounce of heart left in my chest. The little boy became a little man in a matter of seconds. Little man is a whopping 12 years old now. He’s six inches taller, has a full head of hair shaved into a stylish fade to accommodate his fancy new cochlear, and has about 30 signs under his belt. He loves Kidzbop, Hot Cheetos, and his well-loved Donald Duck toy. The little blind boy that used to bump into walls is now strutting through the hallways independently. If he needs a snack, he brings me to the goldfish. If he tells me he needs water, I sign to him “then go get some!’ and he does. When he’s missing a friend, I put his hand on the wall and he brings me to their classroom so that he can say his hellos. Watching this little man grow up before my eyes has been the greatest honor of my life to date. Many of these students had the odds stacked against them when they came into this world. Their massive personalities, incredible perseverance, and a huge desire to learn has propelled them into becoming the most brilliant people I’ve ever met. I'm so lucky to be able to say I know them and I have made them smile. My students should have educators as incredible as they are. I am very good at my job thanks both to the students and fellow educators teaching me as I go but it’s not enough. Pursuing an Orientation and Mobility degree from the University of Pittsburgh with its incredible reputation and desire to see societal change will allow me to further build the skills I need to help make these children more independent in this great big world. When my not so little man doesn’t need me anymore, that’s when I’ll know we’ve won. The world is then at his fingertips and I want to be the person to help get him there.

There was a little boy of eight years old back in the year 2020. The little boy was almost completely deafblind meaning he was profoundly deaf with very minimal light perception. He had never been to school in a formal setting before and I had never been a teacher. Yet there we were on our very first day together at Perkins School for the Blind: Deafblind Program. I walked into the Hilton Building terrified that day. Starting a new job is no easy task and quite frankly, I was incredibly underqualified. I had not a lick of sign language under my belt and had never even met a blind person yet I was expected to be a hands on teaching assistant to eight deafblind children with multiple disabilities. I took a breath, tied my sneakers tighter than usual, and remembered what my friend had said when she asked me to apply for the job: “You were literally made for this, you’re going to love these kids.” I was assigned to classroom 11. A classroom described to me as having “about 8 students with varying needs around 6-10 years old. They’re very fun…a bit of a manipulative bunch.” I sat next to the little boy when he was done with his 3 chobani yogurts, 3 applesauces, and one instant oatmeal. My knee touched his leg to let him know I was there and I wasn’t going anywhere. We were both a little scared and a little confused that first day but I had that little boy’s back and I always will. We were in this new world together like partners in crime and that’s where we’d stay for the next four years. From there I was thrown into the deep end. We were impressively understaffed so I spent the next four months asking lots of questions and figuring things out as I went along. I made mistakes and had huge wins. I’ve now worked with almost every student in our program in a variety of settings. From dance parties, playing pirates, building model skyscrapers, and playing the role of ‘classroom jester’ to strategically implementing activities to increase communication, managing challenging behaviors, taking walks to practice trailing, making sure sensory needs are being met, and giving these students every ounce of heart left in my chest. The little boy became a little man in what felt like a matter of seconds. Little man is a whopping 12 years old now. He’s about six inches taller, has a full head of hair shaved into a stylish fade to accommodate his fancy new cochlear, and has about 30 signs under his belt. He loves the Kidzbop version of Astronaut in the Ocean, Flaming Hot Cheetos, and his incredibly well-loved Donald Duck toy. The little blind boy that used to bump into walls is now strutting through the hallways independently. If little man needs a snack, he brings me to the goldfish. If he tells me he needs water, I sign to him “then go get some!’ and he does. When he’s missing a friend, I put his hand on the wall and he brings me to their classroom so that he can say his hellos. Watching this little man and his friends grow up before my eyes has been the greatest honor of my life to date. Many of these students had the odds stacked against them when they came into this world. Their massive personalities, incredible perseverance, and a huge desire to learn has propelled them into becoming the most brilliant people I’ve ever met. I am so lucky to be able to say that I know them and that I have made them smile. The students I see everyday should have educators and specialists as incredible as they are. I have become very good at my job thanks both to the students and my fellow educators teaching me as I go but it’s not enough. Pursuing an Orientation and Mobility degree from the University of Pittsburgh with its incredible reputation in education and desire to see societal change will allow me to further build the skills I need to help make these children more independent in this great big world. When my not so little man doesn’t need me anymore, that’s when I’ll know we’ve won. The world is then at his fingertips and I want to be the person to help get him there.