Maine West commencement speaker talks about overcoming challenges
Maine West commencement speaker talks about overcoming challenges
Maine West students graduated in virtual ceremony on Sunday, and one of their commencement speakers really knows you don't need perfect sight to have a vision. Anahi Sosa participated in more clubs than most, including track and field, newspaper, and violin. She is an above-average teenager who happens to be legally blind.
DES PLAINES, Illinois - Maine West students graduated in virtual ceremony on Sunday, and one of their commencement speakers really knows you don't need perfect sight to have a vision.
Anahi Sosa participated in more clubs than most, including track and field, newspaper, and violin. She is an above-average teenager who happens to be legally blind.
"I know I'm blind, there's no way to hide that, but I don't let it define who I am, I want it to shape who I am and not define who I am," Sosa said. "You know I've got this drive in me and I have this passion for what I do and it just happens. These opportunities come and I take them because I want to advocate for people to be like 'Hey I'm blind but I'm normal and I do these things and it's great.'"
In her commencement speech, she had some advice for her classmates struggling with the impact of the pandemic.
"Even as bad as it is, and as good as it is, there's s start, a middle and an end and sometimes the middle is longer than expected," she said. "Nothing is permanent. It's just temporary and there will be another point where you start at Point A and you get to Point B."
Sosa plans to major in psychology and work with kids in school.