Learner Spotlight

Ellie Wheeler came to iLEAD Exploration last year as a 10th grader. She has an amazing story to tell. When she was 13 years old, she went from being an active teenager to one who has had to fight chronic illness which means a life filled with pain, doctors’ offices, hospital visits, medication and most recently, legal blindness.

Rather than being defeated by her suffering, two years ago she created the Superhero Project .

undefined What is the superhero project? It is a website that creates a community for people fighting chronic illness. It’s a way to inspire them and remind them that they are all superheroes. Multi-colored super power bracelets can be ordered from the website and worn to support someone you might know who is fighting chronic illness.

Since society tends to stigmatize individuals with disabilities, Ellie’s latest endeavor is to work with teachers. She is providing them with lesson plans that teach learners about disability awareness.

When Ellie returned home from the doctor’s appointment in which she found out that she was legally blind, she decided to paint a picture of an eye. She recently entered the painting in an art contest called “Rare Artist Contest 2016.” The painting with the highest number of votes will win. She would be honored to have your vote.

If interested, please vote here.

Let’s hope she wins! She is truly an inspiration to all of us at iLEAD Exploration.