By SUZANNE BONNER
suzanne@du2.byu.edu
Anyone who has seen Sarah Long's smile will say her specialty is in lighting up the lives of others. Despite the fact that Long is legally blind, her enthusiasm and determination is contagious enough to rub off on anyone who crosses her path.
Ever since birth, Long has been affected with congenital cataracts, a progressive eye disease. Long said the disease runs in her family.
'My mother has the same problem, and it was through her courage and guidance that I became strong,' Long said.
Long believes much of her inspiration came from the school she attended for six years. From seventh to 12th grade, Long attended the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.
'At school, I found a network of friends who could sympathize with me,' Long said. 'A lot of people there were older and had already experienced what I was going through.'
After graduating from WVSB, Long decided to attend BYU. Now a junior, Long is majoring in family science with a minor in geriatrics.
Although faced with a number of challenges, Long has steadfastly overcome the difficult times.
'My biggest challenge is the library,' Long said. 'Someone has to be with me when I research, and it can be very frustrating because it takes so much longer.'
Long described some of the experiences she's had walking around campus. Though she is legally blind, she has at least a little sight. Until Long is familiar with an area, she will use her cane to help her find her way around.
'People treat me different when I have a cane,' Long said. 'They stare at me, thinking I'm blind, and I can see them!'
Long said she finds these experiences humorous but wishes to teach people that using a cane doesn't necessarily mean a person is completely blind.
Long feels that being a Latter-day Saint has helped her understand her blindness.
'I knew before I came to Earth I would be blind,' Long said. 'So I can't sit here and ask 'why me?' because I knew before.'
'I knew before I came to Earth I would be blind. So I can't sit here and ask 'why me?' because I knew before ... It makes me feel good that Heavenly Father trusted me enough to give me this special challenge in life.'
-- Sarah Long, a legally blind BYU student
Long said she feels that her blindness was a special gift from her Heavenly Father.
'It makes me feel good that Heavenly Father trusted me enough to give me this special challenge in life,' Long said.
Most people are forced to see what they come into contact with, and Long said this can be a disadvantage at times.
'I don't have to see the dirty language scrawled on the wall,' Long said. 'I can choose to see.'
Long's friends say Long is graced with many talents.
'She's a great listener and counselor,' said Long's roommate Crystal Goodwin.
Goodwin, 19, said Long is one of the most spiritual people she knows.
'(Long) goes to the temple by herself at least once a week to do baptisms for the dead,' said Goodwin, a freshman from Seattle who is undecided on a major.
Some teachers who have had Long as a student believe she taught them more than they taught her. Kathleen Johnson, a secondary instructor at WVSB, has known Long for nearly nine years.
'Sarah is just like everyone else,' Johnson said. 'She's just in there pitchin' to make a life of herself -- and she'll do it.'
Shirley Klein, a professor of family sciences at BYU, said Long was very straightforward about what she needed to succeed in her class. Klein explained that on the first day of class, Long approached her and said that if Klein would be using transparencies for class discussion, Long would need copies of them in size 36 font.
'Her blindness is only one of the many challenges she faces, and yet (Long) goes forward with her life with both enthusiasm and grace,' Klein said.
And enthusiasm and grace are just a few of the many qualities Long is blessed with. If you doubt this, just check out her smile next time you see her walking around campus.