154WINTER SOCIAL CLUBS LEND A Hand Sophomore Megan Drause creates a puppet that communicates using ASL. MEGAN DRAUSE, SOPHOMORE in women’s social club Ko Jo Kai, found a new creative outlet. During Drause’s junior year of high school, she began making puppets. Her puppets presented opportunities that brought joy to others while expressing herself. “I’ve found that building these puppets has allowed me to express my emotions, good and bad, in a way I never even thought possible,” Drause said. “These puppets show the ups and downs of my life, and I think you can see my growth with them.” One of Drause’s puppets was used at Arkansas School for the Deaf. In December 2021, Drause donated a new puppet named Maggie to the school as a part of professor of mathematics and computer science Ann Brown’s final exam. Drause found it to be a rewarding experience that led her to exciting ideas and opportunities. “I had always played around with the idea of an ASL [American Sign Language] puppet,” Drause said. “The criteria of the final provided me with the perfect opportunity. I’ve always built puppets with the purpose of serving others in some way, and Maggie is doing just that.” Drause said her puppet Maggie became a permanent resident of the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and she lived in the elementary school’s library where she told stories to students. Her heart for service did not go unnoticed. Jayne Gilbert, a junior and fellow member of Ko Jo Kai, added that Drause was a perfect example of using one’s talents to serve others. “I think she is an incredible human who has a massive heart for others,” Gilbert said. “She is at every single event that involves serving others, and she was even elected service project director in Ko Jo Kai this semester. It is not surprising that she found a way to use her unique talent to better serve the Deaf community. All of us in Ko Jo Kai are so proud to know her.” Gilbert said she would love to find a way for Drause to use her talents in club events such as Club Week or service projects. Senior Madison Dean, a Ko Jo Kai sister, recommended learning from Drause. “She is so kind, so loving and so selfless,” Dean said. “I think that donating the puppet was an amazing act, and we can all learn a little something from Megan. We should all be thinking about ways we can help the community and follow through with it. Megan is a very creative girl who used her God-given talents to create something incredible and fun to help others.” WRITTEN BY BONNIE SPANN FRIENDS FUREVER Sophomore Megan Drause admires her puppet Maggie. Drause used her puppets as a ministry for children. Photo by: Julianne Baker
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