A singer from Raleigh who is blind is spreading joy through her music. On Valentine’s Day, she was able to meet someone she looks up to who also spreads joy in that same way. “Good evening, sir,” singer Mary Mikels said. “Nice to meet you.” Those are the words Mikels said to famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. She said she was nervous about meeting him.

“I was so nervous about it because I thought it was going to be intimidating but when you meet him, he’s just like any other person,” Mikels said. “After you met him, you’re like ‘What is the big deal? Why are you so afraid to say hello to someone for a few seconds?’ “It just wasn’t intimidating at all. He’s just like another person, he’s just been a lot of places.”