St. Louis School for the Blind

Visiting the St. Louis school for the blind and the deaf was the most moving, educational, and amazing experience of my life. Upon entering the school, we met father Thomas. He individually shook all twelve of our hands and led us to where we'd meet the kids. Ram, a volunteer at the school,  taught us the sign language alphabet to begin. At first everyone were a bit shy, but within seconds we were communicating and learning about each other. To begin, I communicated with the deaf students. Names, ages, hobbies, and more were exchanged. They were so engaging and compassionate, and offered us to play a game of basketball outside. 

We walked to the court and shot around for a few minutes, and then we made teams to play a game. Everyone was involved and had a blast. I completely forgot that the kids we were playing with were deaf, we were all just playing basketball and having fun. There were plenty of high fives, laughs, and smiles.

After playing for about an hour, I went back upstairs to communicate with, and learn about the blind students. By luck, as soon as I entered the room, they were talking to Mr. Mundra about a religious song. The students proceeded to sing in beautiful harmony, which was incredibly moving to me. It was evident that everyone involved was enjoying this wonderful experience.

After going back to the court and playing for a bit more, it was time for us to go. I high fived everyone and signed that I had to leave. As the rest of our group went upstairs, I stayed behind for a minute, as a group of boys had a message for me. One young child signed "Thank you from our school", which I found incredibly moving, and one of my favorite experiences in my life ever. I made it evident that I was so grateful to be here with them and that I had a lot of fun. We exchanged high fives for one last time, and I went upstairs for lunch.

Today was a moving experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to expand my perspective on the world, and form bonds with such kind and inspiring people.