Receiving a yearbook is such a special moment for students. It’s a time when they can look back on their year and remember the fun school events with their classmates.
For student RJ Sampson he has never got to read or enjoy a year book as he’s visually impaired.
But this year the students and teachers decided to do something special for the senior at their Colorado school.
RJ loves going to school, but since he’s visually impaired, he has never been able to read or enjoy his yearbooks.
On the last day of his freshman year, RJ asked his teacher, “When are you going to make me a braille yearbook?”
Yearbooks are already a huge commitment and his teacher, Leslie Thompson, thought it was a great idea but didn’t think it was possible.
Fast forward four years and his teachers have finally made that wish a reality.
“Yeah, I’m nervous,” said Laurel Ainsworth, the yearbook’s editor-in-chief, on the morning of the presentation.
“My stomach doesn’t hurt or anything — it’s all in my head. I just hope that we covered everything so that they can look back in 20 years and we did it justice,” she added.
Leslie, the vision team, and the yearbook committee spent more than 1,500 hours on RJ’s special yearbook — and he had no idea.
When an emotional RJ was presented with the book he said: “That means a lot to me.”
He added, “It’s completely amazing that the students and staff went out of their way to make one for me.”
It may have taken years but staff at this school should be so proud that they achieved such an impressive undertaking.
Please share to pay tribute to the wonderful community at this school and maybe inspire others to do something special for the students who don’t always feel like they fit in.