NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's always such an honor to be asked to come back and give a speech at a place you went to school.
The speaker at Wednesday's graduation at Mama Lere Hearing School at Vanderbilt was Jacey Riley.
"I was born deaf, but I wasn't diagnosed with profound hearing loss until I was about three-years-old," she said. "I had my cochlear implant surgery the next year."
Riley was in the cap and gown at Mama Lere back in 2012. It just so happens, NewsChannel 5 visited Mama Lere that year as Riley's class celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday. Riley at that time is remembered well by teacher Leena Varma.
"When she started at Mama Lere, she was very shy," Varma nodded.
Varma worked with Riley.
"The children with hearing loss, if they can't talk or they don't have the language to communicate, it impacts their whole entire life," Varma said. "It is not an easy path, but it is not an impossible path. That's what I would like every student to know."
"She just has a special place in my heart," Riley said of Varma. "She was one of the first people who made me feel comfortable in my skin as a deaf person who has hearing aids."
Riley shared with this graduating class, everything she's accomplished after Mama Lere.
"In high school, I did basketball, cheer, and soccer, and I won homecoming queen," she said.
Sometimes when you've come so far, you want the chance to say thank you.
"One teacher in particular, Leena Varma, has continued to inspire me long after I graduated," Riley said, speaking from the podium at the graduation ceremony. "She helped me shape the person I've become and inspired me to pursue a career in speech, language pathology. I'm now studying that field at MTSU because I want to help children with hearing loss and communication disorders, just as the teachers and therapists here helped me."
"There is nothing wrong with being different," Riley continued. "Your child is stronger than you can imagine. They can be anything they dream of. They can do sports, they can be an artist, or how I used to picture myself, a princess. They are capable of everything they set their hearts to. Without this school, I wouldn't be on the path I am now."
A famous person once said, "The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
It was Dr. Seuss.
"Class of 2026, congratulations, you and your family have already accomplished so much," Riley told the crowd. "Thank you."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
As we honor those who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, it is also heartening to see the military right a wrong. Chris Davis brings us the moving story of a Purple Heart ceremony two decades in the making. It's worth a watch.
A heartfelt thanks to all who bravely serve.
- Carrie Sharp
