Name: Raghavi G

Project 2: Modulate Your Voice

Title: Power of Perseverance

Time: 4 - 5 Minutes

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Introduction Punch For a moment I would request all of you to be completely quite and close your eyes. Now, pay attention to the word I am going to utter. Ok Now you may open your eyes. Could any of you repeat or spell the word you just heard. Well I see no one could repeat or spell the word. Why do you think it was?? How did you feel when you could neither hear nor see the person who is talking to you? Body Good afternoon my dear Next Gen Speakers. Helen Adams Keller experienced the same in her life like how all you just felt. Keller was born as a healthy child to Kate Adams Keller (mother) and Colonel Arthur Keller(father) in Alabama on June 27, 1887. At the age of 19 months, she became deaf and blind due to an unknown illness. She used her own sign language to communicate with family and friends. She would feel vibrations of the footsteps and recognize people. At the age of 6, Keller’s mother read an article about a blind school and wished to take her. It was then she met her teacher for life Miss Anne Sullivan, who accepted to meet Keller and continue to homeschool her. Initially Keller was very aggressive and always threw tantrums. Anne understood that Keller needs to be taught with obedience and love. She saw the need for discipline and requested to be moved to a nearby cottage and spend quality time . Anne started to teach Keller by manually writing into Keller’s hand . She gave her a doll and spelled the word ‘d-o-l-l’ in her hand. Keller never knew words existed and she often got confused and to help her, Anne would make Keller hold an object in one hand and spell the object on the other. For instance , she would let Keller hold the mug and spell it on the other hand. Once Keller got confused nouns “mug” and “milk” to verb “drink” and broke it into pieces. Later Anne took her to a nearby water pump by putting Keller’s hand under the spout to feel water and spelled it on the other hand. Now Keller understood that “water” meant wonderful cool substance flowing over hand. Quickly, she touched the earth and asked Anne to spell it and within nightfall she memorized 30 words. Keller used to place her hand on Anne’s throat, lips, nose and jawbone and learned to repeat the words and eventually started speaking hoarsely. Keller started writing just 7 days before she turned 7 years old. She soon understood how to write the word in alphabet and using braille ( it is a device used by blind to write by making holes into papers). She also was able to write on paper but in her writings many round letters looked like squares but could be understood easily by others. Keller’s extraordinary skills and her teacher’s persevarance were even noticed by Alexander Graham Bell. He describes “Keller and Napoleon as two most interesting characters of 19th century” From a very young age, Helen was determined to go to college and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree. While still a student at college, Helen began a writing career that continued throughout her life. Her passport listed her profession as "author." Helen provided assistance in the formation of special service for deaf-blind persons. She travelled different countries and met world leaders such as Winston Churchill, Jawaharlal Nehru. Few famous people we knew were her friends and acquaintances like Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin, John F. Kennedy, Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt Her story was inspiration to documentary , movie called “Miracle worker” released in year 2000. Conclusion Now, what do you think made her a author, socialist, a public speaker who wrote more than 14 books , 100 + speeches and many essays. It is her perseverance to stay focused on educating herself and a wonderful teacher she got. Anne Sullivan, her teacher spent 50 years of her life in helping Keller. On this special note, I would like to thank all the teachers and parents here who motivated us and stay with us in order to make us public speaker(s). I would encourage you to watch videos about Keller and read more about her biography. Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance . Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.