OLD-SCHOOL WHEELING- THE SWEET SOUND OF SUCCESS

This article of mine was published in The Phoenix on June 16, 2006

Ah! The sweet sound of success. For some, it is a beautiful, melodic song. For others, it is the roar of a cheering crowd or the simple crack of a baseball solidly hitting a bat. We take the "sound" of success for granted.

Many times we don't even acknowledge or hear what is going on around us: from the sounds of a busy intersection to the chirping birds in the spring.

To William Longbottom of Riverton, New Jersey, the sweet sound of success is hearing and speaking a foreign language.

William was born with minimal hearing in both ears, which slowed his speech development. When he was three, doctors gave him hearing aids, which helped his impairment somewhat. But during grade school, William attended special education class, and even flunked out of a mandatory Spanish class in the seventh grade.

"I hated it," he said. "After the first marking period, I was taken out because I was failing."

Today, 20 years old, William still prefers to communicate face-to-face rather than on the telephone. "Without my hearing aids, I'm lost."

However, William's hearing impairment didn't stop him from recently earning an associate's degree from Camden County College. Of all subjects he could have studied, William's degree was in languages.

Despite his disability, William not only pursued his love of languages, he excelled a tit. He won numerous awards and honors along the way. He now plans to major in Spanish, as well as minor in Italian, when he attends Rutgers University this fall. He learned German "on the side" while in high school, and now, hopes to improve those skills.

William credits very caring and understanding high school teachers and college professors for the encouragement to enhance his love of languages. They worked hard together on annunciation He also wrote for the school newspaper and served as a student ambassador, a role which required him to lead tours of the campus and communicate with prospective students.

William forced himself to overcome his fears and actually began to love the sound of the spoken word.

All of this from a kid who had trouble speaking and hearing throughout his life. All of this from a young man who failed Spanish once upon a time.

Before going to Rutgers, William will spend an intense seven-week summer workshop at Middlebury College in Vermont. Middlebury is an institution which is world-renowned for its language programs.

"No English is spoken in the program," he informs. "It is very strict."

I bring you the story of William Longbottom to remind all that if one faces a challenge in life, don't be afraid of it. Tackle it head on and try to turn a once negative aspect of life into a positive.

Oh, by the way, William's ultimate goal is to return to his old high school someday- to teach languages.