BELMONT, N.C. — Isla Rose Hightower is a second grader at Belmont Central Elementary School.

In addition to perfecting the finer points of traditional reading and writing, Hightower is also perfecting reading and writing in Braille.

Hightower was born with no vision in her left eye, and limited vision in the right.

She uses a cane she named Candy when walking and started learning Braille when she was a toddler.

In February of 2021, Hightower entered the Braille Challenge, which includes typing sentences given to her by an instructor and finding mistakes in Braille type.

The second grade teachers at Belmont Central Elementary School all wore her favorite color, pink, and hung up posters in the school to wish her luck.

“I was really nervous but they made me feel a lot better. They made me feel like I was going to win this," Hightower says.

Hightower knows it's possible her vision is going to be lost completely in the future, but that isn't slowing her down.

"I want to be a teacher or an artist or something. I'm still deciding. I kind of want to be everything," she says.

The Braille Challenge tests students across the country through the end of March, so Hightower is anxiously waiting for her results.