CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Flour Bluff High School cheerleader's performance of the national anthem has captured hearts online, drawing more than 1 million views on social media.
Claire Harkins signed the national anthem in American Sign Language before a recent Hornets football game, creating a moment that has resonated far beyond the stadium.
"I was just really excited to make others happy and make a difference," Harkins said.
The idea came from her ASL teacher, Leonor Torrez, who asked her classes if anyone would like to sign the national anthem.
"I put out there to my classes... I asked if anybody would like to sign the national anthem?" Torrez said.
Harkins immediately volunteered.
"Immediately I was like... of course I'll do that," she said.
The teacher and student worked together through several practice sessions to perfect the performance.
"And, so, we worked at it. We had several sessions together. We practiced and refined it," Torrez said.
When deciding to sign the anthem, Harkins and her class had one person in mind: Billy Poston, a longtime Flour Bluff ISD employee who is deaf.
"That feels great... just yesterday he came up to me and told me he was proud of me... and that warmed heart knowing that I could make a difference for him and make him feel like more part of our community," Harkins said.
The cheerleader says the positive response on social media has been incredible.
"It was definitely a shock... but I'm very glad that I got to make a positive impact on social media... Especially nowadays," she said.
Harkins plans to continue signing the national anthem at other Flour Bluff games this season.
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