Teen's simple act of kindness changed a young mother's outlook

Nineteen-year-old Kent State University student Mackenzie Mauller ordered her coffee at the local Starbucks drive-thru. As she sometimes does, she paid for coffee for the person behind her in line, then went on about her day. 

The recipient of this small kindness was 32-year-old Nicole Clawson, a mother of two. Clawson was going through some tough times, and was at Starbucks to give herself a rare treat. The generosity of this stranger buying her coffee made her cry. 

As Clawson pulled into her neighborhood, she spotted Mauller's car parked just a few doors down from her own home. The two were neighbors! Clawson wrote a lengthy thank you note and tucked it in Mauller's mailbox.

“I felt it necessary for you to know that what you did for me was more than just a coffee,” Clawson wrote. "It was something that has turned my whole day around, put tears in my eyes and a smile on my face and I feel so grateful.”

The note went viral. 

The two met in person, and Mauller has offered to babysit for Clawson's young children sometime. Mauller says, "It has made me realize truly how much you can impact someone’s day just by being kind.”

Inclusion at Starbucks

Ibby Piracha frequents a Starbucks in Leesburg, VA several times a week. Because he is deaf and has limited ability to communicate verbally, Ibby texts his order for the barista to read. It's certainly different than the way other customers place their order. But it works. Ibby has accepted this as part of his routine, the way he manages his hearing disability in a hearing world.


One female barista didn't accept it. Krystal Payne wanted Ibby to have the same experience as other customers. She took it upon herself to watch YouTube videos and learn the basics of American Sign Language.

Next time Ibby came in to place his order, Krystal gave him this note. True to her word, she used ASL to ask what he wanted to drink. Ibby was touched by her effort to include him and others in the deaf community in this most basic of human experiences. He shared the photo and the story on his Facebook page, and the post was shared over 5800 times.