Coming from high school, I didn’t really have a lot of close friends. I finished high school in three years, so that I could start college and begin a new journey. When I came to RIT it was a different experience than high school. I got to be more myself, and did not have to try to be someone different to fit in. I first thought interacting with other deaf people wasn’t important to me, because I didn’t have that experience in high school. But when I got to campus and saw all the other deaf people interacting and developing relationships with each other I realized it was important to me. I made friends quickly the first week of school, many of whom I am still best friends with today. The best thing that I get from RIT is acceptance from everyone. Faculty and staff understand how to work with deaf people, and I never had that before.
Myles Garner
Caitlyn Lacerra
I’m deaf, so when looking for a college I wanted to find a place where I could meet new people who are like me. I wanted to find a place that had both deaf and hearing people—a place I could call home. When I discovered RIT, I knew I would fit in right away. I could be myself and be part of a community. Having a sense of belonging at RIT made me happy and more self-confident as a student and as an individual. I made lots of friends, both deaf and hearing, and found success in my academics. RIT has prepared me so well and given me the professional skills I need to succeed. I’m proud to say RIT is like my second home.
Christopher Caulfield
I grew up attending mainstream schools. Based on my high school experiences, I felt like I fit into the hearing community perfectly fine. When searching for a college, I thought many of the colleges I considered would have been a good fit academically for me. But they were all missing one important feature—a deaf community I was yearning to be a part of so I could meet other people like me who had gone through some of the same experiences and challenges as I did growing up. Coming to RIT was my shot to meet many other deaf and hard-of-hearing students from all over the country, as well as to get a fantastic education that was affordable and prepare me well for my future.
RIT has been an excellent fit for me. I have a group of buddies that are hearing and also some friends that are deaf and hard of hearing. It is a great feeling to be able to have a combination of both. I feel especially close to my friends who are deaf and hard of hearing because we shared so many of the same experiences before arriving at RIT.
Andrew Smith
In high school, I considered myself shy and focused much of my time on drawing and painting. I liked creating designs, and I took several graphic design courses during high school. I fell in love with animation. I knew this was the field I wanted to continue to study in college. RIT was one of the schools I looked at, and it fit me best. It had my major and I could socialize with many other deaf students instead of with only a few like in my high school. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better college, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Along the way, I have made some great friends and I am getting a lot of hands-on experience in my field. When I see myself today I feel like I am a happier person who will get a great job in the future because RIT is preparing me so well.
Susana Flores
One of the best decisions I made was to enroll at RIT. I found my identity here and became part of a community. As a first-generation Latina student who is deaf, I encountered many challenges growing up. But I had big dreams and overcame the obstacles I faced. Coming from a tight-knit Latino family made it difficult for my parents to let me travel 3,000 miles from home to RIT. But I convinced my parents it was the best option for me. For the first time in my life, I am part of a community with other deaf students—many of whom also are deaf Latino students. The support from faculty and staff and the leadership experiences I have had here have helped shape me into the student I am today. I’ve grown from a shy, isolated student, to a strong leader on campus where I feel I belong. I’m proud to say that RIT is my second home.
Tyler Grabousky
I grew up attending deaf schools until high school and then transferred to a public school. I was the only deaf person in high school, and I socialized with my hearing friends using voice only. I was an outgoing person, but I had my share of days where I felt shy about meeting new people because I feared about making a bad first impression. When I searched for a college it was important for me to find a place that provided deaf-friendly access because I wanted to make sure that I was going to receive and understand 100 percent of the classroom instruction. I also wanted to make sure that I was not going to be singled out again like in high school. When I first arrived at RIT, I felt a little overwhelmed with how many deaf and hard-of-hearing students were here, but I was thrilled to start my college years and was looking forward to being included in a welcoming environment that I didn’t always have during my high school years. Now that I’m enrolled, I feel like I’m a complete person, and I don’t feel left out anymore. I feel embraced here.
Dylan Panarra
I attended a public high school and was the only deaf person. I see myself as a normal functioning person, and I don’t let my deafness define me. That being said, being deaf did have some influence on my decision to choose RIT, but it wasn’t the sole reason. RIT provided a top-tier education in Industrial Design, had outstanding access services and seemed to be the best environment for me to work and learn in and be successful. Now that I’m here, I enjoy having the opportunity to learn and socialize with hearing and deaf people, and I have a good mix of hearing and deaf friends. Because some deaf students use sign language, many hearing students on campus learn sign language, so they can communicate with them. It’s a very deaf-friendly community. There is a great combination of both worlds here, and I can fit comfortably in both of them.
Chinkee Gratrix
I view myself as a hard-of-hearing person because I come from an all hearing family and have a cochlear implant. I attended high school with only two other hard-of-hearing students. In high school, I was quiet and not very outgoing. When searching for a college, I was interested in attending a college far from home, and it was essential for me to find a place where I could have a good social life and get an outstanding education. My parents learned about RIT and thought it would be a great fit for me and encouraged me to come here. I’m glad I took their advice. It’s been the best decision I’ve made in my life. Since meeting so many other hard-of-hearing and deaf people at RIT, my perspective of myself has changed. I’m proud to be deaf, and I learned that I’m not alone. I’ve met so many people with different backgrounds and different high school experiences, and I share common experiences with many of them. I really feel at home at RIT. I’m successful here because the fit is right.
Kyle Murbach
My parents both graduated from RIT, so when I was searching for a college, RIT was on my radar, but I kept my options open. The college I would attend had to offer my major and provide accommodations, so I could be successful in my major as well as easily participate in clubs and activities. It also was important that there were other deaf and hard-of-hearing students on campus. I knew this would strongly influence my college choice because during my first two years of high school I was the only deaf person. I was involved in baseball and soccer, but I never felt like I truly belonged, and didn’t have a lot of friends outside of sports. I transferred to a large mainstream high school that had about 20 other deaf students in my junior year, and for the first time I really felt a part of a community. I wanted that same feeling at college, and I got it at RIT. With so many hard-of-hearing students at RIT like me, I found a place where I’m happy and not lonely. I’m successful in my major because faculty at RIT understand how to work with students who have a hearing loss. Communication is easy here. My professors know how to communicate with me and many even know some sign language, and the same is true with my hearing friends. RIT has been the perfect place for me to gain the academic and professional skills I need while having a vibrant social life. It’s been the perfect balance.
Natalie Snyder
I consider myself both a deaf and a hard-of-hearing person. I was born deaf to hearing parents and cannot hear anything without the help from my cochlear implant, but this device is a bridge for me between the hearing and deaf communities. I am fully capable of speaking, signing or a combination of both, and can communicate with anybody independently.
Growing up, I attended a public high school with a small program for deaf students. I was very outgoing and had both hearing and deaf friends. I used sign language interpreters in the classes, but I often spoke for myself and interacted without an interpreter for one-on-one conversations. I was very involved in high school and participated on two varsity sports teams as well as a national diving team, tutored students in math and science subjects, and was a member of the National Honor Society.
I came from a high school that gave me the ability to be a part of the hearing world and the deaf world, and I knew I wanted to go to a college where I could continue to be part of both communities. RIT offers a large population of deaf and hearing students, so I knew it would be where I fit in the best. Here, I don’t have to choose strictly one community over another; instead I have the ability to be part of both. I have met many wonderful people who are open-minded and who are just like me. I find it fascinating and exciting to interact with different groups of people and cultures without any barriers. There are great people here; I have many friends who share similar interests as me and others that don’t, but every one of them makes my days remarkable here at RIT! I am so thankful to be a part of the RIT family. I will remember the wonderful experiences I have had at RIT as I move on to graduate studies in a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Kelly Jo Hilleshiem
I attended public schools my whole life and was the only deaf student. I was very outgoing and voted Homecoming Queen in high school. But in my last semester of senior high, I decided to transfer to the Indiana School for the Deaf, because I never had the opportunity to meet other deaf people my age before, and I wanted to get an idea of what it would be like to be part of a deaf community. I realized I liked being part of both the hearing and deaf worlds.
Cheerleading and tumbling were my passion, and after graduation I was selected to be a dancer for the Indiana Pacers NBA team. However, I felt it was more important for me to continue my education, so I could get a good job for my future.
When searching for a college, most importantly I knew I wanted to find a place where I could be myself, and know that I wouldn't be judged because I was deaf or that I talked "different." I knew I wanted to find a place I could call home, and that was a place that had both deaf and hearing people. When I discovered RIT, I knew I wouldn't be alone, and that the struggles that I had faced my whole life would be somewhat similar to others. I, for once, didn’t feel alone and so "different." I had a gut feeling from the start that when I came to RIT/NTID that I would be accepted for who I am, no matter the circumstances. And my gut feeling was right; RIT is the best choice for me.
Christina Rizzetta
In high school, I attended the same classes as my hearing peers. I worked very hard and was in many honors and AP classes. I was the only deaf person in my high school and the only person with a cochlear implant. My friends accepted me for who I was. I was outgoing and enjoyed my experience, but at times, it was difficult not being able to share common experiences with my friends. In my college search, I wanted to find a college that had an exciting campus with a diverse student body and a good academic reputation. I wanted the opportunity to be involved both academically and socially. But most of all, as a deaf person, I wanted to make sure that there were support services, such as note taking, available to me, and that I would be accepted. I decided on RIT/NTID because I could see myself here from the first day I visited. For the first time in my life, I was not the only deaf student. Many deaf students here shared lots of common experiences with me, and I felt I could be understood. I fit in at RIT/NTID perfectly. It has been the best decision to come here. My friends, both hearing and deaf, are amazing. They interact so well together and are accepting of everyone, no matter what their background.
Keith Banks
I consider myself a hard-of-hearing person because I have a hearing loss, and I speak well. In middle school, I went to a mainstream school and was picked on by other students because I wore hearing aids, so I lost them on purpose. I decided to attend a high school for deaf students to see if I would fit in better, but I wasn’t culturally accepted there. Fortunately for me, during my junior year, I attended the Explore Your Future summer camp at RIT and discovered not only a major I wanted to pursue, but also a place where I finally belonged. I met wonderful and friendly faculty and staff, and other students with similar backgrounds. I’m so glad I chose RIT. I am involved in many clubs, performing arts and a leader in student government. I’m respected here, and the faculty and staff motivate me and believe in me. I can be myself, love who I am and not be ashamed of my deafness. It doesn’t matter what your background or experiences are related to being deaf, everyone fits in here, just like I do.
Ashleen Evans
I was the only deaf person in my high school and didn’t receive any support services. I had lots of hearing friends who were my teammates. I didn’t know any sign language and communicated using only my voice. I was shy and quiet. I decided to attend RIT because it had my major, and I wanted to learn about Deaf culture and meet other deaf people like me. Also, RIT has a very diverse community and a welcoming environment. I like that many faculty, staff and students in the RIT community are accepting of deaf people and are interested in learning about Deaf culture. Over the past few years I’ve grown from a shy person to a leader on campus. I have both hearing and deaf friends, and I don’t feel isolated anymore like I did in high school. I fit in, and I love being part of a community.
Graham Forsey
I view myself as a culturally Deaf person, exclusively using American Sign Language, general gestures and written English to communicate with everyone. For high school, I attended a school for the deaf, and with an interpreter, I went to another mainstream school to take more specialized classes for part of the day. I knew RIT would be a cultural fit, and as I suspected, I fit in perfectly. I have full access to everything on campus, and people at RIT are very accepting of diversity of all kinds. Faculty, staff and students understand and are familiar with deafness, so I’m very comfortable here. Most of my friends are deaf or strong ASL users, but some of my friends are hearing as well. Many of my hearing friends are learning ASL. My friends and I are so active on campus it’s sometimes hard to find time to eat meals together! The atmosphere at RIT is perfect for me.
Sophie Phillips
My parents found out I had lost hearing in both my ears at age two. With support from my mom, I worked on my auditory processing and speech, and I kept up with my classmates and excelled in academics, sports and art. I served as president of my high school National Honor Society, captain of the swim team and ran varsity track. My mom suggested I look at RIT. I thought it wouldn’t be the right school for me, but after further research, I found out that I could get access services to benefit me in the classroom. Professors already were experienced in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students in their classes, so I knew my individual needs would be truly understood by both my professors and peers. When I came to an open house, I knew this was the place for me. This is such a friendly and welcoming school. Many times my friends and I have jokingly called RIT our second home, and it truly is. At RIT, I feel like I have a family away from home, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the RIT family I have.
Samuel Sandoval
Growing up, people would call me hard of hearing, but I identify myself as Deaf because both my parents are Deaf, and I was raised in a culturally Deaf family. I went to a mainstream high school with a large group of about 50 other deaf students. There was a group of us who socialized together, but we didn’t share the same interests. When I arrived at an Open House at RIT, I fit in right away. I met other students interested in technology that I connected with, and I met a faculty member who could sign and I was impressed with that. After my visit to campus, I knew this was the right college for me. I appreciate that RIT faculty understand Deaf culture and that our varied communication needs are met here, and that the college provides great support and access services to help me be successful.
Sadie Kulhanek
A lot of people ask me why I decided to travel more than 1,000 miles to RIT for college. RIT has more to offer in terms of accessibility and social opportunity than any other university I looked at during my college search. The fact that nearly 10 percent of RIT’s student population is deaf compared to just a handful of students in my hometown means there’s a greater understanding of deafness and Deaf culture. Rochester also has a large number of deaf people compared to other metro areas in the U.S. Many people in Rochester have been exposed to a deaf person at one point or another, so it’s not such an oddity. It’s awfully nice not to have to explain what “those things” are in my ears or how best to communicate with me. I need to be able to interact with both hearing and deaf alike and RIT provides that interaction in addition to a wonderful supportive community both on and off campus.
Lauren Vergara
I was the only person who was deaf or hard of hearing at my high school. I was a good student, a little shy, with my own group of friends. My entire family and all of my friends at home are hearing, so when I was looking at colleges I wanted a diverse campus and the opportunity to meet and be around deaf people, something I hadn’t had before. I wanted to find a college where I would be accepted in general…I’ve always struggled with finding where I fit in, and sometimes I don’t feel like I belong in either the deaf or hearing world. I also wanted a college that offered a lot of majors since I was undecided which career path to choose. When I discovered RIT, I knew it was pretty much the only college I wanted to attend. And when I first visited the campus I had this amazing feeling that confirmed this was the place I was supposed to be. I applied early decision. I’ve made awesome friends here—both deaf and hearing—and I found a career path in Media Arts and Technology that I love.
Fareed Abolhossani
Going to college with other deaf students wasn’t important to me because I grew up oral in a hearing family and in a mainstream high school. When I first visited campus I felt overwhelmed when I saw some students signing because I couldn’t understand them, but it didn’t change my mind about coming here. I took an American Sign Language class my freshman year and now can communicate with other deaf students who sign. I have a mix of hearing friends and deaf friends who communicate like me at RIT.
Doug Giaccone
I’m smart and I am capable of doing anything I want. Being deaf means I just have a different way of communicating. The factors important to me in my college search were having a great engineering program, access services for the deaf, interaction with other deaf students because I didn’t have that growing up, a friendly environment and lots of clubs and intramurals to join. RIT has been a great fit. I’ve met so many friends like me from all over America, the engineering program is awesome, and I’m getting outstanding access services that I don’t think I would get any other college.
Lauren Aggen
Before college I was never around other deaf people—there were only two other deaf people in my high school, and I wasn’t friends with them. All of my friends were hearing and so was my family, so I didn’t think of myself as a deaf person. I consider myself a hard-of-hearing person because I talk and use sign language and grew up in a hearing environment. When I visited RIT, I met students here who wore hearing aids, talked and knew some sign language just like me. They had the same experiences as me growing up. For the first time I felt like I fit in and everyone liked me for who I was. I knew at that moment RIT was where I wanted to go to college.
Duncan Lindberg
In high school I was in classes with mostly hearing students, so when I was in the college search process I looked at colleges that offered me the opportunity to be with both hearing and deaf people like me. It also was important that I find a college that offered support services, including speech and audiology services and interpreting. When I visited RIT I felt comfortable right away. Now, I can’t imagine myself at any other college because I don’t think I would have been so successful anyplace else. I really appreciate the access services I receive for my academics, enjoy the social life I have with other deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and like the relationships I have with faculty here. I’m able to communicate easily with students and faculty, and that’s important to me.
Joseph Lingle
I was mainstreamed and attended summer camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, so I like being a part of both the hearing and deaf worlds. I chose RIT because it was the best fit. It had my major, it offered a great hockey program, and the support for deaf and hard-of-hearing students didn’t compare anywhere else. RIT feels like home. I’m comfortable approaching faculty and staff here—they are always willing to help, and the level of support is exactly what I need to be successful. I didn’t realize how much I would benefit from access services until I started getting them here.
David Tawil
I was mainstreamed my whole life and was the only deaf person at my school. I used an FM system and sat in front of the class to help me understand my teachers. Sometimes I would miss the information that was spoken, so I would have the teachers clarify the information for me after class. I was interested in RIT because I knew I would meet people like me who have gone through similar experiences. Because I didn’t know sign language I took a one-week pre-orientation program to learn some basic sign language to help me communicate with other students and faculty and staff who sign. I met so many new friends like me who didn’t know sign language and who went to mainstream schools. We bonded immediately and they are some of my closest friends today at RIT.
Corey Burton
I attended a high school for deaf students, so I wanted to experience a different environment in college. RIT had the full spectrum of deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing students and the diversity that I was looking for. I also wanted services I could count on inside and outside the classroom to give me the best chance of being successful. The access services, counseling and tutoring resources all have been outstanding here. At RIT, I’m getting a great education in a supportive environment with so many leadership opportunities. It’s been the best college for me.
Jaime Harter
I've never felt like I belonged more than I do here. Everyone is so willing to help whenever I need it. The support and access services I get and the expertise that RIT has working with deaf students mean I no longer feel isolated like in high school. That has given me a sense of relief because RIT is so welcoming of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. It feels great to be part of such a warm place.
Anthony Scerbo
It wasn’t that important for me to attend a college with other deaf and hard-of-hearing students because I grew up in a hearing environment with all hearing friends. I chose RIT because of its strong cooperative education program, outstanding engineering programs and because its graduates get jobs. I also wanted to attend college in another part of the country and learn to become independent. Now that I’m enrolled at RIT, I realize the exposure to other deaf and hard-of-hearing students is a plus, because I’m meeting so many other students like me who shared similar experiences growing up.
Sean (Skip) Flanagan
I felt I could fit in at any college, but RIT really stood out to me in my college search because it has outstanding communication access and a friendly learning environment loaded with deaf students like me. I felt that the opportunity to interact with a large deaf community on campus was a once-in-a-life-time chance. RIT has been a perfect match for me. Seeing how other deaf people go about things has taught me a lot, and I learn from them. That's definitely helping me succeed because I'm learning from people who share the same identity as I do. RIT is above and beyond all of my expectations. I've gotten so much exposure to wonderful people, and I wouldn't be the same person if I didn't go here. I'm pretty grateful that I'm calling RIT home!
Arielle Hirsch
When I was searching for a college, I wanted to find a place that accepted me for me because people in my high school didn’t understand my hearing loss, and I was treated differently. I never felt like I belonged. I’m smart, I just can’t hear, but kids in my high school couldn’t understand that. When I visited RIT, I met another hard-of-hearing student like me, and we connected right away. I knew if I could make a connection that fast that I had found my home at RIT. I’m so happy here. The entire campus community is open and accepting of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. I fit in perfectly.