Blind boy heads to St Anthony’s

Samuel Williams looks forward to attending St Anthony’s College tomorrow with great enthusiasm.

Williams, 14, who is blind, passed for his first choice in the 2017 Secondary Entrance Assessment examination. His mother Alicia Modeste beamed with pride at her son’s achievement despite being visually-impaired.

“Samuel was born completely blind but as he got older I knew he had the ability to reach far, that is why I pushed him, because he is determined,” Modeste, a domestic worker, told Sunday Newsday yesterday. Williams, who lives on Neverson Street, San Juan with his parents and siblings attended the School for the Blind, Santa Cruz and was one of the few students who sat the SEA exam.

Despite the lengthy closure of the school in the last academic year, Williams defied the odds and excelled.

His success did not go unnoticed by St Joseph MP and Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh. “When I heard of Williams’ success at the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination there was no hesitation to assist him,” said Deyalsingh at his constituency office in Mt Lambert.

Deyalsingh presented Williams with school supplies including a new laptop, braille machine, book-bag, stationery and school uniforms. The teenager will also receive a desktop computer, DAISY Digital Talking Book programme and Kurzweil Educational Systems scanner—a scan and read software that makes printed or electronic text accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired.

“We are experiencing a delay with the other items as they are coming from the US, but rest assured Samuel will get them,” stated Deyalsingh.

Williams is eager to put his new gadgets to use in the new school term. He urged other blind children to never give up on life because, “You never know when something good will happen to you.”

Williams has high hopes of becoming a meteorologist. He enjoys playing cricket with the School for the Blind and fondly remembers his attempts at playing football with his siblings. He expressed his gratitude for his school supplies and showed great interest in using his laptop.

“I pledge to continuously support him (Williams) throughout his academic life,” Deyalsingh promised.