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Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Our Alumni

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Amanda

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Jodi

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Sonia Arora

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Samantha

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Ashley

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DaeShawn

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Dana

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Deborah

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Janaya

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Nadia

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Gary

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Jari

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Lauren

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Michelle

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Amanda Alumna

Amanda graduated from the program with her M.A. in 2002 and her PhD in 2013. She is currently an assistant professor at Iona College where she teaches courses in language and literacy development, American Sign Language, and social justice. She recently gave a TEDx talk on deaf children's language and literacy development. She has also recently had my research cited by the Biden administration in their Plan for Full Participation for People with Disabilities. See the section on "Expand[ing] access to high-quality early childhood supports and education." In addition, Amanda launched a free online tutoring program, Iona College Tutors Online, in response to the pandemic.

Her greatest takeaway from the program:

"If you've met one deaf child, you've met one deaf child"

What did she learn from the program?

She gained a deep understanding of the linguistics of English and ASL, as well as the psychological processes of language and literacy development. This has provided her with a foundation for her research, aimed at ensuring language access and appropriate literacy instruction for every deaf child.

Jodi Alumna

Jodi graduated with her M.A. in the Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in 1995. In 2017, she graduated with her PhD. In between, she worked in the field as a classroom teacher, Parent-Infant Program teacher, and as an Educational Supervisor.

She is currently the Executive Director of St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf (SFDS) in Brooklyn. SFDS educates Deaf, DeafBlind, Functionally Deaf and Deaf Students with Additional/Multiple Disabilities such as Autism, Intellectual Disabilities and Physical Disabilities. In addition to working as a school administrator, Jodi presents academic work at professional conferences and collaborates on research studies. Her research interests are in the field of Language, Literacy, Professional Development, Deaf and Special Education.

Her greatest takeaway from the program:

She worked on her doctoral degree part-time while working full-time and parenting. This was an isolating journey because going at that pace meant she did not have a cohort and the field of Deafness is a low incidence disability group. She learned to ask for help when she needed support and guidance, and also learned to say no to some professional and personal opportunities to manage her time and not feel overwhelmed. She surprised herself by how she ended up really enjoying the process of research, seeing that research published, and collaborating and networking with like-minded academics.

What did she learn from the program?

She learned that a doctoral program is very different from a masters program. In a doctoral program, you learn about theoretical paradigms, research designs, statistics, and how to write up a study. Once you learn how to conduct research, then you have an opportunity to research something you are interested in within your field.

Sonia AroraAlumna

Sonia graduated in May 2018 with a Ph.D. in Special Education with Deaf Education emphasis. She is currently working at Missouri State University in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program as a Visiting Assistant Professor.

Her greatest takeaway from the program:

There are many takeaways. Her doctoral cohort was very diverse in terms of experiences, backgrounds, and research so she was able to learn so much, not only from her brilliant professors, but from her peers as well. She was always in awe of what her peers had accomplished prior to starting their doctoral journey, so her takeaway has been to appreciate and learn from others. Everyone has a unique story and lots to add to the table. It makes collaboration so enjoyable and rewarding.

What did she learn from the program?

Aside from learning how to be a diligent researcher through her research methods class, she was able to take advantage of other courses at TC and Columbia, for instance, a class at Columbia Law School which was challenging and incredibly fascinating. Her coursework was pretty well-rounded and she walked away with much more than she expected!

Samantha Alumna

Samantha graduated in 2013. She is currently the Educational Specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine as well as a Hearing Education Service (HES) provider.

Her greatest takeaway from the program:

What a hard question! The takeaways were plentiful. She says the greatest takeaway from the program was to educate and lead with an open mind and an open heart. There are so many ways to reach a child who is deaf and hard of hearing and she learned it is our responsibility as educators to teach, guide, and empower our students along the way!

What did she learn from the program?

She learned everything she needed to know as it relates to working with a child with hearing loss. If she didn't explicitly learn it in the TC classrooms, she gained enough confidence to research, try, and retry if need be. She learned the power of developing self-advocacy skills, she learned about different technology options, and she learned about the importance of collaborating with teams to ensure continuity of services, goals, and objectives. The program taught her how to approach literacy development, how to think outside of the box, and when to enlist help from other trusted colleagues. she says she is thankful for this program every single day!

Ashley Alum

“As a child and even as a high school student I used to hide from my disability. As years passed I realized there was no reason to hide. I chose Deaf Education because I wanted to stop hiding and teach children with hearing loss to advocate for themselves. It's nice to see people around you succeed but to see someone you can relate to succeed when most people expect you to fail due to your disability is motivating. I want to be that motivation for someone. Coming to Teachers College has made me realize the love and the passion I have for working with deaf and hard of hearing children. The cohort size is small allowing great opportunities to learn and to build relationships with fellow students and professors. The TC program supports my growth as both a student and an individual. I am gaining so much knowledge about our field and I know I will be well prepared once I graduate. I would recommend anyone who wants to go into the field of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education to apply to this program. Graduation is near but I will always hold TC close to my heart”.

DaeShawn Alum

DaeShawn graduated from the Deaf Ed/Elementary Education program in May 2013. Since then he has been working in the Bronx as a Hearing Education Related Service Provider within the New York City Department of Education. During his first year with the DOE he worked primarily with students who have multiple disabilities in addition to hearing loss. He has since begun working with a wide range of students, many of whom are in mainstream classrooms. DaeShawn is passionate about student motivation and advocacy, noting that students should be in charge of their own learning. He focuses his sessions around this philosophy by working with students to develop self-regulation strategies to take with them into the classroom. DaeShawn hopes to continue working with students with hearing loss/multiple disabilities and to study meta-cognitive development as it relates to their educational achievement.

Dana Alum

Dana graduated from the TC Deaf Education program in 2011. She is an Itinerant TOD working as a consultant for the New York City Department of Education. In 2013 she and fellow alumna Brittany started an integrated summer day camp called cAMPEDuP. Located in Manhattan, the camp provides a fun summer experience for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid users, and their hearing siblings and friends. “cAMPEDuP” is designed to ensure that each child will have four action packed weeks of summer fun in a listener friendly environment. Way to go Brittany and Dana!

Deborah Alum

Deborah graduated from the TC Deaf Education Program in 2001 and taught at the Murray Bergtraum HS in NYC for ten years. Since 2010 she has been an itinerant teacher for a diverse group of deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind students from elementary through high school across NYC. Deborah believes that every child has the potential to learn and her goal is to help each student identify his/her own strengths and develop the skills needed to become their own best advocate. Growing up hard-of-hearing and mainstreamed herself, Deborah’s commitment and strategies are often informed by her own experiences, and she finds being "on the other side of the desk" very rewarding.

Her personal story convinced her that no student can do it alone so in collaboration with other providers, teachers, family members, coaches, and counselors she helps craft an intentional educational plan that provides opportunities for each child to achieve goals.

Realizing that mainstreamed city teens rarely meet others like themselves – and that some of the best incidental learning happens between peers outside of school; Deborah founded the SayWhat teen group in 2013, which is funded by The Children's Hearing Institute (CHI). At regular meetings and events, teen cochlear implant and hearing aid users get a chance to have fun, share experiences, inspire and empower each other. The groups meet at various social venues across the city with membership growing at each event. A program dividend is that parents also get a chance to build community, support one another and share strategies to help their teens succeed.

Janaya Alum

I fell in love with American Sign Language at a very young age. I learned this beautiful language in grade school, and was automatically intrigued to learn more. After heavily involving myself in deaf events, it made me realize being a part of the deaf community is somewhere I wanted to be for the rest of my life. As a full time student here at Teachers College, the Program in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing allows me to find different ways to fall in love with my passion day in and day out. This program has challenged me to consider the many options that are offered to a child with hearing loss. I have grown to understand that my future students will have unique and varied needs and strengths and the way I approach them as individuals will determine their success. As a student in the Deaf Education Program I am encouraged to think less about the fear of not knowing. Teachers College is granting me many opportunities to develop versatile teaching techniques that I will apply in my future classrooms. For that very reason, I am so happy that I chose TC. I hope you one day choose TC as well.

Nadia Alum

“After teaching Deaf adults in the Middle East, I knew that I was passionate about this field and wanted the most from my graduate education. I did not want to tie myself down to one particular education philosophy or approach in Deaf education, because there is not one solution that is right for all people with hearing loss. The program in Deaf Education at Teachers College is unique in that it really prepares us to meet the needs of Deaf/Hard of Hearing students, whatever they may be. The most attractive quality of this program is that the coursework includes a broad range of education philosophies and communication methods. Additionally, the faculty is kind, approachable and flexible about meeting the needs of the graduate students. Our cohorts are tight-knit and diverse learning communities. We are constantly learning together and from one another. I truly could not have asked for more from my graduate education.”

Gary Alum

Gary graduated from TC in 1996 and is currently an early elementary educator at PS 347 - The American Sign Language and English School in New York City where he teaches deaf, hard of hearing and hearing children from diverse backgrounds. He earned a master’s degree from Teachers College and later became a licensed reading specialist due, in part, to his work with the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation. He received his doctorate in 2014 in the Language, Literacy and Learning program at Fordham University. His dissertation focused on reading assessments used in K-5 classrooms with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Jari Alum

Jari graduated from TC’s Deaf Education program in 2013. Since then, Jari has worked as a Teacher of the Deaf in NYC and Colorado, and has most recently founded ‘Feel the Beat’, a nonprofit dance program and studio for children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and with Special Needs. She has an extensive education in and passion for dance, theatre, Sign Language and working with Deaf and special needs children.

Lauren Alum

Entering into the educational field is a new journey for me. Since elementary school, I knew that I wanted to incorporate my love for American Sign Language into my career. Originally from New Jersey, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from New York University. I came to TC after finding the field of Deaf Education and realizing that TC is committed to giving students a bandwidth of ideas, theories, philosophies, and access to different communication modes. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Arts in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education. Beyond our program, TC is a great place to get involved in many clubs and athletics!

Michelle Alum

Although she might look like a teenager, Michelle is a teacher of the deaf and hard-of-hearing in the San Francisco Unified School District. Before receiving her teaching credential, she obtained her Ed.M/MA in Deaf Education and Elementary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2012. Michelle was diagnosed at birth with deafness in both ears. Later, an audiologist determined she had a severe-to-profound hearing loss in the left ear and complete deafness in the right ear. From the time she was 11 months old, Michelle attended the San Francisco Hearing & Speech Center (now known as the Hearing & Speech Center of Northern California). She was mainstreamed in first grade and spent most of her time reading books when she was supposed to be playing at recess. Upon high school graduation, Michelle attended the University of California, Los Angeles where she became a spirited Bruin. During her college years, she participated in various student groups, studied abroad, spent a quarter in Washington, DC researching special education and arts education, and volunteered at No Limits for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English with minors in Disability Studies and Global Studies. As an alumna of AG Bell’s Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT) 2004 and as a recipient of an AG Bell grant, Michelle believes in the unique and transformative experience that the program provides for teens with hearing loss. In her free time, Michelle enjoys traveling, hanging out with her friends, writing, watching movies, listening to music, dancing, and doing yoga while thinking about her next big meal.

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