Ross High School Student, Kailyn May, visited Elda Elementary students last week to conduct her "Everybody Counts" lesson as a part of her membership in HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America).

Kailyn walked students through various activities that included learning their name in American Sign Language, simulating hearing impairment with ear plugs, and many more hands-on activities, all with the help of her family.

Kailyn shares, "I planned this activity to help students learn about kids with disabilities. Doing this early helps them later in life with communication skills with others who aren't exactly like them because no one is. This also leads into adulthood where they still have these skills and can use them with their peers and coworkers. My goals were to help kids understand that everyone is different and that is okay, another goal was for the students to be more comfortable with their peers and work with them better in understanding them."

Adam Hull, Elda Elementary Principal shares, "Kailyn has done a tremendous job preparing lessons for our students and giving them the opportunity to experience real life challenges such as being visually impaired or deaf. Our staff and students have really enjoyed these lessons and leave them with a renewed perspective on their peers." 

Shout out and a job well done, Kailyn, representing what it means to be a #RossRam by empowering students with empathy and inclusion.