The Superman theme should have play when Sarah Daniels in sixth grade, walked off the playground to assist with the special needs kids. There she made a friend: Anna Tuzzlo. A few years later her and Anna walked the Ponquouge Bridge to raise money for autism.

For Sarah, this was a defining moment, “it has inspired me to become a Special Education teacher for preschoolers because everyone should get the same opportunities to learn.” This is pretty ambitious for a sixth grader, and amazingly this is still her dream as a senior. This has not been an easy road to follow. The past six years have been full of loss and bumps along the road. Life—as it tends to do—rears its ugly head. After the loss of her grandfather, Sarah felt herself sink into a “state of depression” This was the loss of an important role model in her life. Her grandfather taught her that “being nice and kind to people will get you far in life.” To lose someone whom Sarah said “shaped me into the person I am today.” was hard on her. Whom encouraged her that “it’s okay to have a big heart, and care for people, even if they don’t care about you.”

This—according to Sarah, has been her greatest flaw, letting people walk over her, and has accounted to many people doing so in the past. Still, everyday Sarah goes to BOCES, to learn the necessary skills she needs to reach her goal, to continue to live by her grandfather’s words, to be the Superman—or woman, for all those kids in need.