“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller

This quote by an icon perfectly summarizes Lateefat Adelekan's work ethic. The high school sophomore receives vision and hearing itinerant services through SSD. She was nominated by her teacher of the visually impaired, Alexis Moore, who has known her since she was a five-year-old student at Granneman Elementary.

Lateefat has experienced multiple surgeries due to glaucoma, yet she self-advocates for and uses any low vision devices offered. Most recently, her hearing test confirmed mild to severe sensorineural loss in both ears, but she confidently uses an assistive listening device in all her classes. As a native Nigerian, she was also an ELL student. She has always been very observant and a quick learner. Her mode of learning is quite different from her peers due to all the modifications, but she presses on.

A personable and affectionate young woman, Lateefat is a hard worker and has a determination to be the best she can possibly be. She has a passion for knowledge and is a deep thinker. She is an avid reader in all genres and her iPad is full of downloaded novels that she will dive into whenever she has free time. It is not uncommon to see her Google any and everything for clarification and understanding. 

Overcoming middle school challenges was difficult, but her drive to excel never wavered. She chose to be independent and, as a result, her GPA remained at 3.5 or better. Her attitude toward learning has determined her direction in life, informing her goal to follow in her mother's footsteps and work in the medical health field. She is smart, resilient, and fearless, which is evident when she attends Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students each year in Huntsville, AL. Lateefat uses her limited vision and leadership skills to guide and assist other campers during this weeklong experience. Not long ago, while tethered, she climbed a 35-foot pole, placed her feet on a disc slightly larger than a dinner plate, turned around, and jumped off. She never gives up!