My name is Alondra Pagan-Galarza and I am a new student at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind (GMS). Although this is my first year, I quickly realized how tightly knit GMS’s community is. This is in part because of the boarding aspect of the school, which allows for more camaraderie and traditions. One of these traditions is circle time.

Led by one of the dorm staff, all the students gather around the common area every Monday afternoon when school lets out. We play games, talk about our week and eat snacks. The first time I ever experienced this, I had many doubts and misconceptions.

“Will it be boring? Will people force me to talk?”

The answer was ultimately no to both questions. These healthy discussions allow my fellow peers and I to connect and reflect freely. In the beginning, I was afraid of speaking up and sharing my thoughts on questions that were brought up in the circle. However, over time, participating in circle time has gotten me out of my shell. An example of this was when, seemingly out of nowhere, we started talking about our lives and past struggles. While listening and sharing experiences I felt connected with everyone and that I was part of something special. The group could never have known that I was feeling lonely that day and needed something like this. I have been able to deepen friendships and make new memories with people since my time at GMS. Circles have allowed me to grow as a person socially and emotionally.