Last fall, what began as a normal school day for University View Academy 6th grader Bentlie Truelove changed very quickly. Logged in for her weekly science learning circle, Truelove had no idea the lesson on force and motion would make her feel seen in a whole new way.
Steps They Said Would Never Come
Truelove was born with spina bifida, and doctors told her parents she would never walk. Little did they know that was far from the truth. At just the age of two, Truelove took her first steps while the rest of her family was nearby in the kitchen.
The beneficiary of parallel bars being built in her living room at a young age to go back and forth on, Truelove was always encouraged to take her first steps. It was like a game for her that she loved.
“They {the doctors} told us she’s a miracle,” Bentlie’s mother Jerri noted. “Most kids with spina bifida are paralyzed from the waist down.”
Truelove enrolled at UVA in August of 2025. Attending class virtually allows her to work efficiently around her schedule that demands trips to the doctor’s office. Eager to learn the ins and outs of virtual schooling, Truelove is loving her time at UVA so far.
“UVA is good for me,” Truelove said. “I don’t have to walk in and out of classrooms, that’s a big plus. It allows me to save my effort for learning.”
The Science of the Game
Ms. Staci Shaw teaches 6th grade science at UVA and had planned a lesson on wheelchair basketball that incorporated force and motion. What Ms. Shaw or nobody else in the class knew was that Truelove is a superstar wheelchair basketball player.
Truelove plays for a team based out of Lafayette called the Cajun Wheelers; they are Louisiana’s only youth wheelchair basketball program, and they play at events across the Southeast. Truelove has been involved with the program for seven years.
In a matter of moments, the lesson became real. Truelove was an expert on the lesson. After speaking up to let Ms. Shaw know she was a wheelchair basketball player, the meaning of the lesson came full circle.
“It made me feel good, because I said to myself, ‘We’re finally doing a lesson about wheelchairs,’” Truelove remembered. “I was amazed that we were learning about wheelchairs because we never did that at my old school.”
Suddenly, the lesson about force and motion wasn’t just a lesson. It was a lesson that resonated with the whole class. Truelove talked to her classmates and teachers about playing basketball in a wheelchair, how fast she goes, and all things about her disability.
“Bentlie’s classmates were so excited to hear her story, and they were chatting back and forth with her,” Shaw noted. “They were telling her how proud they were of her. It was such a beautiful moment.”
“One of my classmates started praying for me and telling me how sweet I am,” Truelove said. “It really made me cry because it warmed my heart so much.”
Lending A Helping Hand
Truelove has a passion for helping others. In the classroom. At the house. Or even at the doctor’s office. And you’ll never guess what she wants to be when she grows up – a doctor.
“The reason why I want to be a doctor is I see how cool they are,” Truelove said. “It’s so cool how they fix people’s problems and stuff – I just think it’s very cool how they help people.”
The doctor’s office can be quite the intimidating place for some, but not for Truelove. Recently, she helped one fellow patient with words of encouragement for a procedure she was about to undergo.
“I met this one girl who was supposed to be getting a shunt transplant,” Truelove noted. “She was a little nervous so I talked with her about it. I showed her where my shunt was and what happens with the shunt.”
A growing personality has Truelove helping out at UVA too. She has become more outspoken the more comfortable she has gotten in virtual classrooms. In a class with some midyear additions to UVA, Truelove welcomed them by giving them the confidence to speak up.
“I told them to make yourself feel heard,” Truelove noted. “Don’t be afraid or scared. Speak up and don’t ever be afraid to tell somebody about yourself.”
The Best Decision Ever
Truelove has only been a student at UVA since August, but deep down she feels like this is the right place for her.
“Now that she’s at UVA, she loves the teachers and everyone is so nice,” Truelove’s mother Jerri said. “We went to the Open House in Gonzales and it felt like her teachers had know her forever. She told me, ‘I love everybody.’”
Knowing you can count on your teachers for advice and direction is a comfort every student should have. Truelove is experiencing that in full at UVA.