To: Dr. Jane Erin, Dr. Irene Topor, Dr. Penny Rosenblum, and Dr. Ian Stewart:
Hi. Saturday I had my first VI and O&M student graduate. As he walked confidently across the stage to accept his diploma, I couldn’t help but think of where we had started from. I thought about how as a young boy he used to take slow, halting steps and now as a young man he walks with confidence. I thought of those first braille lessons when he would scrub and scrub and then take a wild guess. Now, while not a great braille reader, he gets by.
I thought of all those math, science and history classes I sat in thinking, “How in the world is he going to get this lesson?” and “How in the world am I going to stay awake for this teacher’s lecture?” I thought of our first “you shouldn’t drive” discussions and his anger. I remembered taking him for a ride in my car so he could shift as we drove around town.
I thought of his gradual acceptance of his progressive eye condition and how one day he told me, “I was born with these kind of eyes so when I die the Great Spirit will recognize me.” I thought about what he said for days. I thought about the time he called me to help him iron his ROTC uniform because it had to be “just right” to pass inspection, and I thought, “Is this part of being a VI teacher, too?” I thought of how our learning was mutual and for all that I taught him, he did his fair share of teaching me.
His class elected him to give the closing prayer at graduation. He thanked his teachers, and I thought, “How proud I am of you, how proud you must be of yourself and how proud I am of myself, too.” We did it!
I just wanted to let you know that your work does not go unappreciated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me so I could pass it on to a very special young man.
Mary Jo Martinez
P.S. People have often asked me what keeps me here in Chinle. Now I know!