Embracing my Heritage

Cochlear implants are amazing in that they can bring sound to people who cannot hear, but it still requires a lot of work and effort for people to use them to their maximum potential. Sound is just part of the process. The newly implanted patient must then go through a rigorous process in order to understand the new sounds that they can hear and then apply what they have learned into a spoken language. It is not an easy thing to do. My mom, to make it easier for me, helped me focus on learning English alone.  English is such a difficult language to learn. She thought that by limiting the amount of American Sign Language (ASL) I used that I would work my way through the frustration of listening, rather then giving up and switching to ASL, which was easier for me because it is a visual language. She wanted me to learn English because that meant that I could communicate with and be able to speak with everyone that I wanted to at home or in the neighborhood. I would never have learned how to speak and hear as well as I do if it wasn't for my mom. She was the one that was always there when I wanted to give up in frustration, when I needed an extra push to keep working, and she was always the one that made me feel the proudest when I made a breakthrough.

But this meant that I never learned ASL as fully as most of my Deaf peers have. I believe that I have my current level of listening comprehension and speaking ability because of my unwavering attention to one language. It didn't matter to me as much when I was younger when I ran into other deaf kids who I couldn't communicate with in ASL. I did feel a little disconcerted because I was a deaf person who couldn't sign, but I knew it was because I was doing my best to learn another language. But now that I am older, I feel that being deaf defines me more and more every year. People who find out that I am deaf always ask if I know ASL, and when I tell that I don't, it usually creates this reaction. They seem to think its weird. That reaction makes me wish that I knew ASL.

Now I do know a little sign language, but I have decided that I am going to learn ASL in its entirety. I am now comfortable enough with English, and even through I still learn new words and pronunciations everyday, I feel like I can dive completely into ASL and learn it. I want to be able to talk with everyone, regardless of whether they are hearing or deaf. I want to be the one who straddles both cultures. Just like how blogging combines all the cultures and societies across the nation, and allows for a new level of understanding between them.

First Thoughts on College

When I was first deciding which colleges I wanted to apply to, my mom and I had a few ideas in common about what kind of college we were looking for. We both were looking for smaller, liberal art colleges, where the classes would be smaller, and where I could have plenty of outside resources to help me if I struggled with the transition from high school to college. I have now been at Skidmore College for a month now, and I have to say I think I have found the perfect college for me. The student body is diverse in culture and background and all of the students are very friendly. Within the first week, I made so many friends. Looking back, I laugh at myself for being afraid that I would have a hard time making friends. The professors that I have in my classes, are both intelligent and clearly care about how the students do in class. The classes are small in size. The professors ask questions and lead discussions that every student in the class takes a part in. The campus is beautiful and right on the outskirts of Saratoga Springs, a great town with a lot of great shops and activities to do on the weekends.

There was one other very important reason that my Mom and I wanted a smaller school and eventually chose Skidmore. We were both worried that I might face difficulty in college because of my deafness. We both wanted to make sure that I would be in a school where I would have the least amount of trouble when it came to hearing, whether in the classroom or out, and where I could have help if I did struggle. Now that I am here, I can say that being deaf, and having cochlear implants, has not had a big impact on my college experience here at Skidmore College.

I came to Skidmore a little worried, but also curious about how having cochlear implants would play into my college life. I can now say with confidence. Nothing. I have been to all my first semester classes, and I have had no problem hearing and taking notes, as I follow the class and what other students have to say, and once in a while adding my own thoughts. I can hear the professor and the other students perfectly well, and I feel right at home in my classes. The Dining Hall, the only one on campus, is both loud and boisterous, but I have no trouble hearing and holding conversations with my friends in there, unlike a lot of restaurants that I have been to. Of course, college life would not be college life without the parties. I thought that parties would be some place where I would have trouble at college. Having attended a few parties, I feel like for the most part I can hear fine, and when I do have difficulty, its not so bad. Sometimes I do ask for friends to repeat themselves. Overall I am very happy with how it is going at Skidmore, I am having fun, and learning a lot from my classes.

Another really cool thing to point out is that I have noticed two other people at Skidmore who have cochlear implants, and a few others with hearing aids, one of my teachers being one. I don't feel that different from the other students, and while people are curious about deafness and cochlear implants, they don't treat you differently. I am glad to see that so many people are completely open to students with hearing loss and the idea of cochlear implants and hearing aids. Hopefully this attitude will be adopted by more people who are part of the Deaf Culture and those who take part in the cochlear implant controversy. The same thing goes for the English professors who have a bone to pick with blogging and internet text.