Senior column: Life is a story There are unexpected opportunities in life's challenges So what is my story? Well, here’s a fun fact: I couldn’t speak until I was 4 years old. Instead of attending a traditional preschool, I was placed in a school that specialized in dealing with kids who were deaf and mute. I remember a teacher talking to my parents, saying, “Do not put him in public school, he won’t succeed there.” Even though I couldn’t speak and let her know how I felt about that, her words lit a fire inside of me to overcome my disability and prove her wrong.