We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kale Sudhoff and Allie Gray. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kale and Allie below.
Hi Kale and Allie, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
We are currently establishing an organization called Silent Opportunities. With this organization, we are looking to bring awareness for those who are deaf or hearing impaired. Allie has known sign language since she was in the third grade and has always found joy in communicating with those in the deaf community. Kale has always felt called to write children’s books for those with disabilities and he feels this is something that others really need to be informed of. We would like to raise funds to donate to a hearing loss organization and to create a scholarship for a local high school graduate who has been impacted by hearing loss or disability.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hi, my name is Allie Gray I am currently the 2024 Miss Lake Festivals Teen. Through this program I have been able to come up with a community service initiative, Be Real Not Perfect. This has been able to give me the voice to stress the importance of showing who you are no matter your circumstance. With knowing sign language, I have always felt connected to the deaf community. I have shown my sign language throughout my year as Miss Lake Festivals Teen. Kale saw that I was involved and knew sign language and he reached out in hopes of working together to create an organization for the deaf community. Hi, my name is Kale Sudhoff and for the past four years I have been writing books for children with disabilities. My next book titled “Born to Stand Out” seeks to bring awareness to those in the deaf community. My Mom has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and sometimes cannot hear out of one ear. Because of this, she has to read lips to be able to understand others. I think it’s important to show children that there are people with these struggles around them and that they are people just like them.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Our main goal is to use our platforms to reach others and show children that those in the deaf community or even those with other disabilities are people just like them who may experience more struggles, but they should not be treated as less than others. We want children to be inclusive of others regardless of who they are, where they came from, or what challenges they may face.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The best part about our journey has been knowing that we’re helping others and making a difference. Getting to know the people that we’re impacting is truly life changing and it is our favorite part of what we do.
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