Deaf and College Years

Many Deaf people find themselves going to Gallaudent University or RIT in Rochester when they think about college. Many of those who attend these schools were mainstreamed and entering the Deaf world for the first time when they go to college.

I did indeed consider Gallaudet and RIT for myself when I thinking about college. For different reasons, I decided not to go to either of those schools. Part of the reason was that at that time I still considered myself a hearing person with a hearing problem and didn't want to enter the Deaf World. I thought I was "perfectly" find in the hearing world and could handle a hearing college. (I was so naive!)

I graduated with a BFA in Advertising Design from Moore College of Art and Design (now Moore University of Art) in Philadelphia. This was a small private woman ONLY college. I went there for several reasons but the fact that it was small was the major reason I attended that school. I did not know sign during those 4 years so I depended 100% on lipreading and in a few classes I had note takers. I was the first Deaf student to graduate from Moore. I found out later the college had hesitated accepting me due to that reason but my art teacher in high school gave them a glowing report about my ability to function as a deaf student in a hearing culture so they decided to take the risk.

My absolute worse class was Art History. In that class, we were shown slides and of course the lights were off. I basically taught myself art history by reading the books and memorizing the names, artists and anything related to that painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. I got NOTHING from the professor or the class itself. Another nightmare class was Humanities. That was all talk and incredibly boring for me. I would read the books but completely missed the talk of understanding what I read. I did have a note taker but she was really lousy. I really should have been more bold and asked for a different person but I felt so humbled that this girl was giving up her time to help me that I couldn't hurt her feelings. She had awful English and spelling skills and I'm amazed she was in college in the first place but she was a good artist and that is probably how she got in.

My other classes were art related, hands - on type of classes. We were given a project such as to design an ad for a perfume or a package design for crackers, etc. The following week we would have a critique of everyone's work. I got nothing from the critique except by making up my own opinion of what could be changed, etc. I was not the most skilled drawer or designer in my class but I was not the worse either. I did have a "eye" for design.

One thing about this college was that I was with the same group of girls for four years. I had several good friends there but they were from the dorm and in different majors and different years. I only had one good friend who was in my major and we had all the same classes. Her name was Janice. She was a Christian like me and was very sweet girl helping me and giving me information as far as what our project instructions were, etc. Because of her, I met other Christian girls in college and we hung out together.

As I think back, it amazes me how much I missed. I certainly did not get my money's worth going to college as I didn't have the same advantage as the other girls. But I stuck it out. I managed to get A's in all my art related classes but could only manage C's and D's in my lecture type classes. I'm sure if I did it over again with an interpreter this time, I could have done better and learned much more.

Because it was hard to follow along, I did not participate much during class discussion but I did have a one to one relationship with many of my professors. I would go up after class and ask them questions or confirm that I understood what the assignment was. I had one to one tutoring with my humanities teacher one year and that was very helpful. I am always humbled when people take time out of their day to help me in a personal private way. I had a tendency to think I'm a "pest" or "not worth their time". I did not want to be a "bother". I have since changed that opinion and know I am just as worthy as the next person of this attention.

Life at the dorm was interesting. My first year was rough. My roommate decided during the second half of the year to move to another room. I was shocked and couldn't figure why she liked that girl better than she liked living with me. I never did find out the reason but maybe it was just easier to have a conversation with the hearing roommate than it was the deaf roommate. For awhile I lived alone and I loved that. Eventually another girl moved into my room with me. That was a God "thing" and she and I became best friends and would continue living as roommate for the next two years. Today she is the only one from college that I still keep in touch with now and then. Grace was a huge blessing to my life and taught me much.

Life at college was good. I enjoyed those years of being independent. I was right in the middle of Philadelphia and many times I would just walk in any direction. There is much to see in Philadelphia and I have fond memories of the city. At no time while I was a student in Philadelphia, did I have contact with the Deaf world. There was another hard of hearing student a year younger than me but I was only on a "hi" basis with her. We were never friends as we did not have any classes together.

While I did miss a lot in college, I am still using today what I learned there. It was not a complete loss. I am blessed and thankful I had the opportunity to go. It was my first time in the big wide world away from my family and hometown. It was a great experience. Maybe someday I will go back to college again and this time I will do it right and get an interpreter! That way I will get my money's worth and be on equal footing with my fellow hearing classmates. Yes, a deaf girl can make it through a hearing college.. not easy but possible.