BRANDON, Fla. — Like most teachers, the well-being of Olivia Williams' students doesn't end when the bell rings.
She's been a Deaf and hard-of-hearing teacher for 10 years, but this is her first year at Mann Middle School.
It's no secret that teachers nationwide have a hand in shaping the future, and Williams is proof of that.
When one of her students approached her and asked for a little help before the start of school, she didn't hesitate.
"Joel came into my classroom and expressed some needs for some resources, and so I had spent the day kind of thinking of what I could do and pooling my own resources and trying to make it successful for him and getting what he needed, and I was coming up short," Williams said.
Williams already holds three jobs, so she asked the community for help.
She posted the question on the Seminole Heights Facebook group, and boy did they deliver.
Thanks to Williams and strangers' donations, she was able to take the kids on a shopping spree the very next day.
When asked about the experience, Joel's face lit up well before he answered.
He said it built his confidence, and he plans to do something with this act of kindness in the future.
"I thought about when I become an adult, and I am successful like I want to give back to other people and help them out as well," Joel said.
His brother, Izaeya, echoed the same sentiment.
"I just felt like full of happiness and joy. It was great," Izaeya said.
Williams said the 'thank you's' were overwhelming the day she and her coordinator took the kids shopping. She carries that same gratitude for people in the community who helped her in her mission to bring a smile to her student's faces.
"My gratitude doesn't even begin to... saying thank you doesn't cut it. I can't thank them enough." Williams said. "There is a sign in American Sign Language that looks like this, and it means to have a full heart, and I saw the sign several times when we were out shopping at Ross, and they just continued to use it, and they just feel confident."
