Helen Keller

Helen Keller as a child

The name of my hero is Helen Adams Keller. She was both blind and deaf and she was still able to make accomplishments just like any other person. She never cared that she was different and that's one of the reasons why she inspires me.

Sign Language

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Helen was not born blind nor was she born deaf. 19 months after her birth she became very ill which doctors stated "an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain" which is something like a scarlet fever. Because of her illness, she became blind and deaf. By the time she was seven years old, she created over sixty signs in sign language.

Helen Keller being taught by Anne Sullivan

In 1886, Helen's parents found 20year old Anne Sullivan to be Helen's teacher/instructor. In 1887, it was March and that's when Helen met Anne. Anne started teaching Helen right away. Anne would put something in Helen's hand then she'd spell it out on her hand so that she knew what it was and what it was called. Within a month, Helen wanted to learn more.

Radcliffe College

Ever since May in 1888, Helen started school and Anne would follow her. Helen went to Perkins Institution for the Blind. 1894 She and Anne moved to New York so she can attend Horace Mann School for the Deaf. 1896 they moved to Massachusetts and she attended The Cambridge School for Young Ladies. 1900 Helen entered Radcliffe College and at 24years old, she was the first blind and deaf person to receive a Bachelor of Arts Degree. 1936, Anne Sullivan passed away after being in a coma. Helen then traveled the world to raise money for the blind. Since she was 11 years old, she has written a total of 12 books and her most famous was The Story of my Life.

The Story of my Life by Helen Keller

Helen Keller is my hero and inspiration because she showed me that anyone can do anything even if you don't have all the qualities or senses like most people. Knowing that a blind and deaf person can graduate college makes me feel like that I can go to college too and earn a degree. So this make me want to do better in school and get the grades I can get.