Teaching in a classroom filled with fifth-graders is already a difficult, but one chalkboard champion from Lakewood, Ohio, faces an extra challenge. Teacher Mary Gannon was born without her arms.

As a young child, Mary lived in an orphanage in Mexico City. When she was seven years old, she was adopted by American parents who brought her to this country. When she arrived, she spoke no English. Mary said growing up in an orphanage gave her a desire to help and teach kids. “Sometimes I even forget that I don’t have arms because my students don’t treat me any differently,” Mary declared. Now an adult, Mary teaches math and science at Harding Middle School  in the small Ohio city of Lakewood, located near Cleveland.

This amazing educator said she decided to share her story to show everyone that anything is possible. View her story in the video below. It’s a few years old, but the story is timeless.