OUTREACH
While at Clemson, I was actively involved in my local communities, serving as ASL Club President, participating in service learning opportunities, and tutoring local families. Complimenting my academic commitment, these experiences contributed to my personal development by allowing me to form new connections and develop leadership skills.
Clemson ASL Club
Immediately after arriving at Clemson, I joined the ASL Club but was disappointed in the opportunities for member involvement. I was unaware that the club failed to re-register and lacked defined leadership between students and advisors. After faculty recommendation, members elected me to lead the club back to its roots, a celebration of Deaf Culture with ASL students and the Deaf Community. Although only a sophomore, the language and cultural foundation I’d developed through my involvement in the ASL community prepared me to accept a leadership position within a club in turmoil.
​
As President, I strived to promote inclusivity and language accessibility by providing opportunities for ASL users of all experience levels to immerse themselves in a language-rich environment. At each educational, social, or cultural event, ASL is the only language of communication, ensuring that all community members, Deaf or hearing, have equal opportunity to improve their ASL skills, learn more about Deaf Culture, socialize, and form new relationships. I also serve as the primary contact point for all event coordination, internal/external communication, and new member recruitment.
​
Easily the most significant event of the year, I had the pleasure of coordinating the ASL Club’s annual performance of the National Anthem in Death Valley in 2023 and 2024 with Clemson Football Operations, Clemson Athletic Fan Experience, and TigerBand. Each year, 20-30 dedicated members attend practices twice weekly the month prior to create a cohesive and quality performance. While the anthem itself is a whirlwind experience lasting a mere few minutes, the exhilarating opportunity to stand side by side on Clemson’s football field in front of 80,000 spectators is one that I would not trade for the world.
​
Throughout my two years as President and efforts to revive the Clemson ASL Club, the organization has grown from 60 members to over 325 current members. I attribute this success to the dedication of the executive board and faculty advisors I had the privilege of serving alongside. The unwavering passion of student officers and the continuous encouragement by ASL faculty members for their students to attend club events allow the ASL Club to thrive. Above all, I am most grateful for my local Clemson and Signing Communities, which have allowed me to grow as an individual, leader, and ally of Deaf Culture.
Service Learning
In the fall of 2024, I had the opportunity to engage in a service-learning project that placed me in a local high school. I observed a nationally certified educational interpreter twice weekly throughout the 8-hour school day. Through this experience, I was immersed in an environment where the dominant language was ASL and also the role of a working educational interpreter. In an authentic mainstream environment, I applied my ASL skills and educational interpreting coursework to analyze the demands, use of control strategies, and dynamics available when working with a Deaf student and as a member of the larger educational team. Ultimately, this positive experience supplied the foundation for my internship as I transitioned from observing to interpreting under the supervision of my host interpreter.
ASL Tutoring
By recommendation from Clemson ASL faculty, I provided ASL tutoring to local families during the fall of 2024. Each week, sessions covered content areas in the ASL manual alphabet and numerical system, family members, colors, food, animals, emotions, and basic "survival signs."
This opportunity allowed me to connect with my local Clemson community, eager to improve their ASL skills. It also challenged me to create content that met students' educational goals and learning levels. To accomplish this, ASL terms were incorporated into interactive activities such as ASL Bingo to practice students' receptive and expressive skills. Additionally, sight word lists from students' current classes were used for fingerspelling repetition to develop familiarity with the terms using both English and ASL alphabets.