5 minute read
ENGINEERING HIS TALENTS
By Max Smith, Region 10 ESC Digital Marketing Specialist
NOTES flow from Lukas MacDonnell’s keyboard while his fingers dance across the keys as he performs “Canon in D.” It’s not long before his bedroom transforms into a studio full of music as he demonstrates the keyboard’s various features.
This is not an uncommon scene in the MacDonnell household. Music, especially the piano, has always been a passion for Lukas, a sophomore at Midlothian High School who has a Visual Impairment.
“He’s been able to play the keyboard by ear for a very long time,” shared his mom, Heather MacDonnell. “He’s always been musically inclined. When he was a baby he had cancer, neuroblastoma. The only thing that he wanted when he was awake was his little iPod Shuffle that had the clip-on and his Jack Johnson music, that’s all he listened to. He would listen to it on repeat all day.”
Ever since he was almost six, Lukas has been interested in learning how to play different instruments. He played the drums for one year, and he also knows how to play a little bit of guitar. His main focus, however, has always been the piano and keyboard. He can explain everything from why the keys on a piano are heavier than the keys on a keyboard, to how a synthesizer produces its own sound. While his musical preferences have evolved and changed over the years, one piece of advice his doctor gave his parents has continued on with them.
“When he was sick, the doctor said ‘Don’t baby him, treat him like a regular kid.’ That was one thing that stuck with my husband and I,” Heather shared. “We expect him to go out and try new things. That isn’t hard for him because he wants to do everything.”
Lukas has not shied away from that expectation. After competing in track and swimming while at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), he joined Midlothian High School’s Wrestling team.
“I had a few friends at TSBVI that did wrestling, and they said it was really fun,” Lukas said. “It’s been fun, and I’m probably going to end up doing it the whole time I’m in high school. It’s one that I can easily do, you don’t have to see very well to do anything because you’re in constant contact with your opponent.”
Lukas with his parents
While Heather has always known that her son is very competitive, she was surprised when she first found out about his interest in competing in wrestling.
“We went to the counselor’s office to get his school schedule, and he’s like, ‘I want to be in wrestling.’ This was the first time I had heard of this, because it wasn’t something he had talked about. However, I knew it was something he would be able to do,” recalled MacDonnell. “His coach even says he can be more intuitive about where his opponent is moving, because he understands the movements more than someone who can see.”
While Lukas is busy at home learning music, at school he has also been learning to cook with Region 10 Orientation and Mobility Specialist Micha Seely. Every few weeks they will go to the grocery store to gather ingredients for a meal, which they will then cook the following day. Seely stays in constant communication with Lukas’s mom, keeping her updated on their activities.
He has been one of my favorite students to teach. He’s always up for whatever challenge I give him during his sessions whether it be street crossings, soliciting help, advocating for himself, or cooking. ~ Micha Seely, Region 10 ESC
“He has been one of my favorite students to teach. He’s always up for whatever challenge I give him during his sessions whether it be street crossings, soliciting help, advocating for himself, or cooking,” Seely shared. “Not to mention his technology skills are so advanced, there have been times he has taught me. I truly see him achieving big things in his future.”
Even with so many different interests, Lukas has always been set on one goal for his futurestudying Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Heather believes it is the perfect platform for her son’s inquisitive mind. For Lukas, it is the perfect combination of his interests.
“Being a mechanical engineer sounds like the most fun to me, because you can do just about anything with that job,” Lukas said. “I’ve always liked technology and mechanics, and it’s a mix between those two.”
For now, Lukas will continue to explore his numerous interests. While he hasn’t publicly performed music for an audience yet, that will soon change when he performs in his first piano recital in December.
