Hello everyone,

This is one of my favorite times of year. The weather is cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. I hope you enjoy it though, because the days are getting shorter and shorter.

One thing I did during mid-term tests was organize and clean up my desk. Included in that was cleaning up files on my computer. When I was cleaning up my computer, I found some old pictures of a friend and I.

His name was Michael Wittman, and he joined my class when I was an elementary school student. He has cerebral palsy, and so he can not speak and has a difficult time controlling his body. In class he used his eyes to communicate left and no, and used an alphabet board to spell out words to communicate. However, there was nothing wrong with his mind. He was very smart.

At first the kids in my class didn’t know what to do with him. It was difficult to communicate and we didnt understand that behind the body was a normal kid. However, after some time with him and his helper, we understood that Michael was a really funny kid! He also won top prize for math the first year he was at my school.

Over time I got to know him, and we became friends. He lived near my grandparents house, and I often went to his house to play. I even spent the night there. One memory is me pushing his wheelchair across the road running as fast as I can, and Michael having a huge smile on his face. I am sure his parents were nervous, but also happy at the same time.

Over time I moved away to a new town and we lost touch. However, I have never forgotten Michael. I searched his name online and found that he became involved in making music, and also in making technology to help other people with communication barriers.

We are all together at Shin-ai for this part of your life, and afterwards you will scatter into the world. However, the friends, experiences, and memories you make here will stick with you forever. Be the best person you can be here, and create those memories for others.

Below is an article about him (with pictures of me as a kid!). It is a little difficult, but challenge it! Let me know if you read it and if you have any questions. See you next week,

Allen