The words, "Deaf People can Do anything....Except Hear." Are words that many deaf should live by. These words are true words of inspiration, dedication and sensibility of what it takes to prove one's self.

      I am not sure how many people will read this, but at least this is documentation of history, a place to express my thoughts and feelings. Being 15 years old so much goes through one's head and mind. I may have a life time of memories, some good some bad some forgotten.

     What I remember most about my "home away from home", the sheer independence. Learning to depend on me and not so much on mom or family. I remember this one time, its so funny now but it wasn't then. I remembered the first time I tried washing my own clothes. No mother to tell me how to sort and manage my clothing.  I took my whites, undies, socks and t-shirts and mixed them accidentally with some red clothes. Unknown to me that red would bleed. Guess what! when the wash cycle finished I had pink underwear, tank top shirt and socks. All pink. You bet I called my mom and my mom said, " you know better than to mix colors with non colors. Colors bleed." Real bright huh?

    But what I enjoyed most was the essence of making friends, many of us hanging out. Eating in the cafeteria. But I a new signer was no easy task. Yes, I knew my signs but not proficently as I should. I did eventually learn but it was a challenge. I met a friend, Cindy, she was a peer advisor my freshman year. She also an oral student who could speak and hear. I still have a picture of her when she visited my dorm that time to talk with her sponsoring mentor.

    She helped me understand the difference with my signing skills, but I did not fully pickup ASL until I joined Drama. Drama was where I was bitten by the acting bug. it was a month or so later after Cindy told me to go out and try. You best believe, I put on my best shoes and went and tried to improve my signing Skills.  How that come about? Well it was in the Cafeteria where I can't remember who, But I do remember meeting Alex Jones and Tim McCarty I believe. They were setting up audtions for the school play.  I thought since fall play is around the corner, it would help with my signing skills.

  I was glad I signed up one day after school in front of the auditorium on the call board.  It was for the Fall Theatre Showcase Festival. I and a few others joined  a creative drama group. here we wrote our parts about DPN or incase you forgot, Deaf President Now. Who was in my group. Me, Shannon, Heather, LeCara, Derek, Jenny, and Tonya.  The title of our skit: Choosing Power.  I remember my skit very well, as if it was yesterday.

My line as it was written: "I was visiting my grandparents house one day. There on TV there were so many students shouting and displaying a banner. I knew I was proud to be deaf, Deaf President Now!"