TYLER, Texas — A young East Texas student has been working hard to save up for a clarinet to use in school.
Whitehouse ISD fifth grader Lariah Smith has a special story. She was born deaf and has two cochlear implants. She’s not letting that stop her though. Next year, she wants to join the school band.
"I picked band because of the scholarships, the trips, and because it seems fun," Lariah said.
Something else people should know about Lariah – she’s quite the entrepreneur! With the help of her older brother, JV, she started a homemade slime business.
"Basically, I’ve just been marketing on my YouTube channel," JV said.
"And he cleans up after me," Lariah added.
Together, and with the help of their mom, the duo has already raised almost $400 for her clarinet. And an added bonus – two previously owned clarinets were given to her. So she decided to pay it forward.
"We had talked to the band teacher to see if there were any kids who couldn’t afford one, or needs one," Lariah said.
Lariah and JV’s mom, Melody Ackerman, said she’s proud of these two young entrepreneurs, and she's thankful for how the Tyler community has shown so much love.
"It’s been really cool to watch Tyler come together and support Lariah," Ackerman said.
Lariah hopes her story inspires others to dream big.
"Maybe you can make a goal and then raise something. Or, maybe you could just get the money for somebody in need," Lariah said.
Lariah plans to continue selling her slime and fundraising for her own clarinet. You can check out her business by clicking HERE.