Student Case Histories
Debra's Story
Debra is a 47-year-old deaf African American woman who has participated in the Deaf Adult Education Program “on and off” since the program began in 1989. She enrolled in the program because deaf teachers were hired to provide instruction in American Sign Language (ASL). English, reading, grammar, and math are taught “bilingually” using ASL along with written English.
Debra is very a passionate student, especially when it comes to reading. Her goal was to learn how to read books at school and home at own her pace. Reading has been a struggle all of her life, which affected her confidence. It was difficult for her to always ask teachers for help. Her hard work and perseverance paid off. Says Debra, “Reading a book means a lot to me because I presently understand what I am reading and my communication with others is better.”
In order to understand why this is an enormous accomplishment for Debra, it is important to get a glimpse of her learning journey. She had many language learning challenges as a young person. She was the only deaf child in a family of five in New York City. She enrolled in the New York School for the Deaf when she was 5 years old, but doesn’t remember the method of communication with other students, staff and family. She mostly remembers being transported everyday in a vehicle with group of students. Later her family moved to Michigan, where she enrolled in the Detroit Day School for the Deaf and stayed until age 12. She remembers using gestures and body language and some sign language. In school, she was NOT supposed to use sign – in fact, teachers slapped her hands for using sign language, preferring she use her voice all the time. Language learning was a real struggle.
Later, Debra’s parents decided to send her to the St. Rita School for the Deaf, a private program operated by the Catholic school system in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was sent away to live in the dorm and only saw her family on holidays or summer vacations. “Finally,” said Debra, “I began learning a lot about everything at St. Rita’s.” She became fluent in ASL. She recalls feeling so good to be able to understand and communicate with other students and staff. She remembers learning and understanding her academic lessons through ASL. She graduated and received a diploma.
She was not able to communicate much with her family in ASL when she went home. She continued to use her voice to speak with her family members. The learning break-through that Debra experienced at St. Rita’s set her forth on a journey to keep on learning as an adult. Debra was one of six individuals selected by the Minnesota Literacy Council to receive the “2006 Outstanding Learner of the Year Award” at the Partners in Literacy Conference. “I’m so thrilled and honored to receive this award,” said Debra. “There were so many days I struggled to read and understand English. I am most thankful to my teachers at CSD.”
Le’s Story
Le visited deaf middle school students at the Metro Deaf School in St. Paul because they were studying the citizenship process. There, he shared his experience about moving to Minnesota and becoming a United States citizen. Le, a former Deaf ABE student who took classes at the Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning, moved from Vietnam to Minnesota in 1995 and became a citizen in 2001. The students were captivated by Le’s stories about how he arrived in Minnesota.
Le’s first attempts to communicate with other deaf students at Humboldt High School in Vietnamese Sign Language failed miserably. Le described his struggles learning both a new culture and a new language (American Sign Language), and how he graduated from high school and studied to become a citizen. He shared a very touching love story about how he met a deaf woman in Vietnam and communicated with her via webcam using Vietnamese Sign Language. They married last spring, and she is now attending the Deaf Civics classes at Lehmann Center in Minneapolis. Judging from the students’ thank-you cards for Le, they enjoyed his presentation tremendously and some now dream of visiting Vietnam someday!
Anastasiya’s Story
Anastasiya recently moved from Cakhalinskaya Oblost (Island) Russia to St. Paul with her family. Her father’s family has been here since 1991, and they agreed to provide her family housing. Anastasiya’s family sold their home and car to afford the airline tickets to come to the United States. Each family member was limited to bring twenty pounds – Anastasiya brought some clothes, precious family photos, and school and medical records.
In Russia, Anastasiya went to hearing schools, from elementary to high school; there was no deaf education program. She graduated in 2001. Now she is learning American Sign Language and English in America. At first, Anastasiya was shocked by American culture and deaf culture. She found other Russian families here with deaf children and learned that Minnesota provided quality deaf services. Anastasiya found the Deaf ABE program at the Hubbs Center and was thrilled to be able to take classes with deaf teachers. Her goal is to learn more English and to get her driver’s license. For now she is thinking of volunteering because it will help her understand the American workplace. Says Anastasiya, “I want to get a job some day, but I’m not sure what kind of job yet.”
Learning English is a struggle. Anastasiya uses the computer to translate English to Russian. Her time is limited to one hour on the computer at the library every day. She has many dreams and goals and hopes to get her own computer some day!
“Anastasiya is very bright and capable. In time she will master sign language and English. A new world will open up for her,” according to her teacher. Upon visiting the CSD of Minnesota offices, Anastasiya learned about more services for deaf people and realizes how much better her life is here in America.