Home Institution: Gallaudet University
Program: LIS, Italian and Italian Deaf Culture for Hearing Students, Summer 2007

Learning American Sign Language at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2002 started off as a personal interest but quickly became the foundation for my personal and professional life. Because it was American Sign Language, I never imagined it would open the doors to working internationally, living abroad and learning Italian Sign Language (LIS).

When I first came to Italy in 2007, I attended the LIS, Italian and Italian Deaf culture for hearing students pilot program, consisting of four other students and me, a Gallaudet University Deaf Studies MA student who still had a thesis to write. My three-week experience proved I had unlimited capabilities: communicating in LIS with the Italian Deaf community, negotiating English and Italian with my host family, and a yearning to learn more about the global Deaf-World.

Since then, I have continued to work for the school as the Deaf and ASL Programs Development Coordinator, spending the majority of my time stateside and my summers in Italy. The opportunity to use my Deaf-World experience and knowledge for advertising our Deaf and ASL Programs, researching and networking with various university programs across the nation, and corresponding with prospective and future students has been a challenging but rewarding experience. My summers were equally gratifying, as I helped plan activities for the students, witnessed the emotions of first time international travelers, and became a part of their understanding of the Deaf-World and the world around them. For almost two years, I carefully balanced this part time job while finishing my thesis, teaching ASL and Deaf culture, interpreting in the community.  In summer 2009, I was also asked to co-teach American Deaf Culture with Joseph Hill to four Italian Deaf students using a mixture of LIS, ASL and gestures. This was an exceptional opportunity and together, the students and I learned more through enthusiasm and patience than could ever be taught by a book.

While I continue to be responsible for the recruitment of our Deaf and ASL programs, every summer I’m humbly reminded how fortunate I am to work with genuine people, interact with interesting students, be involved in a unique opportunity related to my studies, and, now, to live the next year within the rolling hills of Tuscany. And while excited and scared at this new adventure, there’s something beautiful about going to another country. Not only do you lose yourself in the beauty of another country, you lose yourself in all the differences of another country. Constantly trying to negotiate what you know versus what you see and realizing that they don’t always match creates a feeling of uncertainty. And when that uncertainty has diminished, what is left is a new understanding of yourself and the world around you. It may be a difficult process but it’s one that I am fortunate enough to witness and experience.