Terry Graham said having the new student center at the Helen Keller School named for him was “the honor of a lifetime” and questioned whether he deserved it.

Be assured, he does.

Graham, president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, has driven vast improvements in the facilities during his 32-year tenure.

The new 11,000 sq. ft. student center provides space for exercise, sensory stimulation, music, computer games, crafts, arts education and reading, along with an updated nurse’s station and a school store.

Physical improvements, however, as important as they are, pale beside Graham’s determination to ensure the quality of his students’ lives. In the building dedication Tuesday, Graham reiterated AIDB’s commitment to making sure its students feel valued, treating them with respect, instilling dignity and ensuring they feel good about who they are.

Naming the student center for Graham is a fitting tribute to an educator who has always put his students first.