SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 7, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah student who is deaf and legally blind has won first place in a national literacy contest.
Sarah Gubler, an 11th grader at Jean Massieu School of the Deaf in Millcreek, placed in two categories of Gallaudet University’s National Literacy Competition: ASL poetry and ASL handshapes. Gubler won a $100 prize for each, says a statement from Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
Gubler has a vision condition called colobomas of the optic nerve and retina, which cause large blind spots. For her, it is like seeing the world through swiss cheese. She has a few pockets of vision and she often needs to tip and tilt her head to be able to see parts of the world around her.
“I was so excited when I found out I won,” Gubler said through a sign language interpreter.
“It was so fun to try something new. I can’t believe I won first place. It is amazing. I won first place last year, too! I created the poem myself; I wrote a story about a dragon a long time ago and I took on the role of the dragon in my poem. My teacher, Yvonne Montalette, supported me a lot. It took a lot of practice to memorize the poem and sign it properly.”
Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind Superintendent Joel Coleman also released a statement.
“We are very proud of Sarah Gubler. She is a great example of a student who is able to learn and thrive with personalized, student-centered education. She has many wonderful abilities. We coach our students to always remember if they can’t see, hear, or both, there is still so much they can do to become capable adults who can contribute to society.”
Learn more about the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind here.
To see Gubler sign her poem, click the link below.
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