Life After High School

I graduated high school in 2008 with a strong GPA; I was in the top half of my graduating class. Before graduating, I got an early acceptance to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.  I knew I wanted to go there to become a designer and to be involved within the deaf community there.  I had looked into Gallaudet University, but they didn’t offer a design program.  I wanted to become an interior designer.  While living in Rochester, I took several art classes and some classes under NTID: National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing [yes…that is a mouthful!].  I started identifying and accepting myself as a deaf individual.  My sign language skills improved tremendously within the first month living there.  I had never felt so comfortable with my identity until this point.  I had a lot of friends that I could relate to on many levels and they accepted me for who I am.  

After completing my first quarter at RIT, I learned that I did not want to be a designer.  I discovered that I am more hands-on and wanted to be the one clipping out pictures and cutting up fabric swatches to design homes.  Everything had to be done on the computers.  I hated doing blueprints.  I hated that the computer wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do.  I really wanted to be able to put my hands through the computer screen and make it do what I wanted it to do.  That’s not the case.  I remember calling my parents through Skype and telling them that I didn’t want to be a designer.  I met with my academic advisor and she pulled up my Meyers-Briggs test results.  After looking through my results and having a long conversation, we came to a decision that I wanted to be a teacher of some sort. At that point, I faced a minor glitch being at RIT… they didn’t have a teaching program for undergrads, only at the Masters level.  Which meant I had to find something else to get my Bachelor’s degree in.  I decided that I wanted to complete the rest of my year there, and transfer to another college.  I took classes that we felt that would benefit me and the requirements for a Bachelor Degree in Education; such as psychology, sociology, Deaf studies, and other liberal arts courses.  

I moved back home with my parents after completing my first year in New York.  I decided to go to New River Community College, which was nearby, as I completed requirements for an Associates Degree. While there, I tried to figure out what kind of teacher I wanted to become and where I wanted to go to get my Bachelor’s degree.  

While attending to New River Community College, I worked as a caregiver for a family that had a child with bilateral cochlear implants and additional needs.  I also became a babysitter/tutor for another family with a child that had a bilateral hearing loss but needed some support in developing language skills. While working with these two families, I figured out that I wanted to be a Teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  It makes sense, right?!  I finally decided that I wanted to attend Radford University. YES!!  This is the same university that I went to when I was young for speech and hearing therapy.  I have a very special bond with this university.  

While attending to Radford University, I became a member of an Honor Society for Education, Kappa Delta Pi. I also helped bring the American Sign Language club back to life as it was shut down for many years.  I was very involved with the ASL club, classes and the Deaf Education program.  We became “the talk” on campus.  The enrollment rate for the ASL club tripled in size by the end of the year.  We hosted our first annual Deaf Jam where we had members in the Deaf Education program, ASL Club, and those taking an ASL course to perform variety of songs.  To this day, they still host the Deaf Jam to provide entertainment for the Deaf Community.

As part of my requirements for the Deaf Education degree, I had to gain experiences working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing students.  I provided tutoring for elementary students, participating in assessment activities, completed my blocking experience in a self-contained pre-school classroom, itinerant services and student-teaching at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.  As I remember Radford being challenging, it was truly the time of my life.  I loved being able to discover myself and figure out what I wanted to be.  My friends that I had there, were amazing, especially my ladies in my cohort.  There were eight of us in our cohort, which was the 2nd largest graduating class in the Deaf Education program.  Three of us (including me) had a hearing loss, but all three different experiences.  I think the greastest thing about this was bringing our experiences to the table to help all of us learn and understand that each Deaf/Hard of Hearing individual is unique in their own way (just like anyone else out there in the world).  This was an amazing message to share that not all Deaf and Hard of Hearing people are the same, we grew up using different modalities and learning experiences and so forth.  I feel that this is what helped shaped our cohort to become some of the best Deaf/Hard of Hearing educators today.  I’m truly proud of my cohort.

I was able to complete all the requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree in Deaf Education in three years.  I could have finished in two years, but I had so many transferred credits from Rochester Institute of Technology and New River Community College.  I did not want these credits to go to waste.  I was able to graduate from Radford University with a double minor in English and Art.  A few days before our college graduation, we had an award ceremony.  Unknowingly, I received two awards by the university: Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Deaf Education program as well as the Overall Outstanding Student for the College of Education.  I graduated Radford University with Cum Laude.

After graduating Radford University, most of my friends landed positions as a Teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  I wasn’t ready to apply for jobs.  I did not feel completely satisfied with my education at Radford and I craved more.  I applied and got accepted to Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. for their Advanced Studies: Deaf Education program.  This program is designed for  teachers for recent graduates of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing teacher preparation programs and experienced teachers the opportunity to acquire most in-depth knowledge in an area of their choice.  

While I attended Gallaudet University, I focused on how to enhance reading comprehension in Deaf/Hard of Hearing learners.  I was very intrigued with literacy and Deaf learners.  This was also an amazing opportunity to be involved with the Deaf world again.  I was going to my classes again without wearing my hearing aids considering all of my professors were teaching through American Sign Language.  I developed strong friendships with many ladies that I keep in touch to this day.  These ladies are both Deaf and hearing.  We were all very involved within the Deaf culture and constantly signing with one another.

As soon as I graduated from Gallaudet University, I landed a full time job as an itinerant teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Fairfax County Public Schools. I am currently completing my second year teaching and am in love with my job.  I never thought I would be an itinerant teacher and thought I would have my own classroom.  I still hope to have my own classroom one day in the future but right now, I feel that I’m in the right place.  I grew up with itinerant services, and now I’m able to provide itinerant services.  Because of this, I have both perspectives.  I can intertwine my personal experiences with this job and help my students when needed.  I feel that the minute my student learns about my hearing loss, we have a great connection which makes our learning session fun.  I love being able to use what I’ve been taught with my current students now. I am constantly looking back at my personal experiences, good and bad and am just blessed to be where I am today!