NTID Alumni
About the Alumni Community
RIT/NTID alums are making a real difference in the world and right here at their alma mater. As a member of the RIT/NTID alumni community, you are part of something meaningful. Our graduates span the globe and contribute to a wide range of industries, fields, and communities.
Together, we celebrate shared history, impact, and the success of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
NTID Alumni Gatherings
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Benefits and Resources
NTID alums enjoy the benefits, services and support shared by all RIT alums through the RIT Alumni Association. Additionally, the NTID Alumni Association provides the following opportunities and resources for the nearly 10,000 RIT/NTID alums who represent every U.S. state and numerous countries around the world.
- Volunteering, mentoring, and opportunities where YOU can make an impact.
- Invitations to special events on campus in venues such as Dyer Arts Center, Panara Theatre, and more.
- Access to RIT Libraries for research, trade journals, and reading the news.
- Support with career services via the NTID Co-op and Career Center.
- Low-cost access and memberships to RIT recreational facilities, including the Gordon Field House.
- News and information available through NTID AlumniNews and RIT/NTID social media accounts.
NTID Alumni Association
The RIT/NTID Alumni Association is actively providing leadership for alumni events, supporting the NTID Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Fund for students in need of financial assistance, and promoting a sense of community among RIT/NTID graduates!
NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors
To help foster interaction and growth among the NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors, representing a variety of geographical areas and various degree programs, meets twice a year on the campus - in the fall during Brick City Homecoming Weekend and in the spring during Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival.
Meet the Board Members
For additional information on members of the NTIDAA Board of Directors, register at the RIT Alumni Network. There you’ll also find exclusive alumni benefits and services, alumni volunteer information, classmates search, class notes and more.
NTIDAA Board Officers
RIT/NTID Alumni Representatives
What Do We Do?
Our alumni across the country provide local insight, hosting small local gatherings and volunteering opportunities, helping us identify locations when we're in town to host events.
Reach out if you are interested in becoming one in your area!
Our alumni across the country provide local insight, hosting small local gatherings and volunteering opportunities, helping us identify locations when we’re in town to host events.
Volunteer
Want to get involved? By becoming a volunteer, you will benefit by reconnecting with the university and joining a vast network of NTID alumni volunteers.
Volunteering Opportunities:
- Become a mentor in the student-alumni mentoring program
- Host a local alumni event or social gathering in your area
- Coordinate local volunteering opportunities
- Support Deaf-owned alumni businesses by promoting, collaborating with, or shopping from them
- Participate in virtual career panels to share your professional experiences
- Offer job shadowing or internship opportunities at your workplace
- Write a guest feature or alumni spotlight for the newsletter
- Help plan reunions or major campus events such as Brick City Homecoming or NTID Reunion
- Volunteer at on-campus events (e.g., graduation, open house, welcome weekend)
- Assist with admissions outreach by connecting with prospective deaf and hard-of-hearing students
- Nominate students for scholarships
Do you have any ideas you would like to share? Contact Amelia Hamition-Ketchum, assistant director of student-alum mentoring and special projects.
Thank you for volunteering and giving back to the RIT/NTID community. You are part of an association of nearly 10,000 alums around the world.
Student-Alumni Mentoring Program
Our alums mentor current students with similar academic and career interests through one-on-one conversations held throughout the academic year, offering guidance on topics ranging from career exploration to professional growth.
To explore ideas or for more information contact Amelia Hamition-Ketchum, assistant director of student-alum mentoring and special projects.
2024
2025
Ways to Give Back
As a graduate of RIT, you know firsthand the transformative experience of an RIT education. The new RIT Alumni Referral Award gives you the opportunity to help students take a similar journey of discovery. With your referral, incoming deaf and hard-of-hearing students or students interested in the ASL-English interpretation program who you believe would make a great addition to our undergraduate community automatically qualify for a $500 scholarship (renewable for four years, totaling $2,000) upon acceptance to RIT. This scholarship opportunity is a testament to the importance of your involvement in the lives of our future alums.
The RIT Alumni Referral Award allows you to nominate one incoming deaf or hard-of-hearing undergraduate student or a student applying for admission to the ASL-English interpretation program for a $500/year scholarship if they:
- are a new student applying for this coming academic year
- apply and submit all admissions materials by the appropriate deadline
- are admitted to RIT/NTID
- enroll at RIT/NTID
Referral names must be received by the NTID Office of Admissions by the application deadline for the selected program. Those deadlines are:
- First-year students applying Early Decision 1 – November 1
- First-year students applying Early Action – November 1
- First-year students applying Early Decision 2 – January 1
- First-year students applying Regular Decision – January 15
- Transfer students – January 15
The referral form must be completed by the deadline above in order to qualify the student for this special award program. Scholarship dollars cannot be granted retroactively for this program, so please don't delay!
Give
One of the most important ways you can give back is by supporting student scholarships. Many of our students come from families that are eligible for state and federal aid, but are faced with economic headwinds that still require them to contribute to their child’s education beyond their ability to do so. Our endowed scholarship funds help ease that burden for families and allow our students to go on to do great things.
The RIT Sentinel Society is a community of annual donors dedicated to supporting students, helping them thrive at RIT and NTID. At NTID, all Sentinel Society commitments benefit the NTID Foundation Endowed Scholarship, ensuring that support gets to students who need it most. Learn more about the Sentinel Society and join today.
Planned giving offers a meaningful way to support RIT/NTID beyond your lifetime. By including NTID in your estate plans, you help ensure continued access to high-quality education, innovation, and opportunity for deaf and hard-of-hearing students for generations to come. Your legacy—of any size—creates lasting impact and strengthens our future.
NTID scholarships play a critical role in supporting student success. Students have shared that scholarship support makes it possible to attend college as first-generation students, participate in campus activities, and gain meaningful academic and professional experiences. Scholarships also allow students to focus on their studies instead of financial pressures, remain full-time students, and invest in their future. These outcomes are made possible through the generosity of our donors.
Support NTID student success by contributing to scholarships and program development. For more ways to give, please reach out to Bryan Hensel, Executive Director, Office of External Affairs at Bryan.Hensel@rit.edu or Joseph Riggio, Senior Director of Advancement at jnroea@rit.edu.
Please consider making a donation today. Your gift matters. Thank you!
Alumni Awards
RIT's Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a deserving graduate of NTID or a deaf or hard-of-hearing graduate from another college of RIT. Alumni selected for the award are highly successful in their chosen field of study or career, are actively involved in and contribute to the betterment of the deaf community, and promote spirit among NTID alumni and RIT's deaf and hard-of-hearing alumni. The Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually for each college of RIT.
2026 Charmaine Jacobs Hlibok
Charmaine Jacobs Hlibok ’94 - Retired, Principal of the Elementary Department at the Maryland School for the Deaf
Charmaine J. Hlibok is a dedicated educator and leader with over 25 years of experience in Deaf education, language development, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. She served as Principal of the Elementary Department at the Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia Campus, from 2018 until she retired in June 2025. In this role, she provided instructional leadership, cultivated a positive school climate, and worked closely with families, educators, and community partners to ensure student success.
2024-2025 Jeffrey McCaw
Jeffrey McCaw ’89 (Business Administration Accounting) - Chief Financial Officer of SourceAmerica.
Jeffrey W. McCaw joined SourceAmerica in 2019 and is currently the Chief Financial Officer on the executive leadership team. He has a distinguished career in fiscal management, leading financial functions that include accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, treasury, and grant accounting and compliance. In addition, he was an active member of SourceAmerica's Board of Directors.
You can also find out more about past NTID Distinguished Alumni recipients on this page under the National Technical Institute for the Deaf category.
By the Numbers
RIT/NTID has nearly 10,000 alumni all over the world.
95% of deaf and hard-of-hearing RIT/NTID graduates who sought jobs after graduates found employment after graduating.
RIT/NTID alumni thrive in all economic sectors:
- 78% Business and Industry
- 13% Education and Non-Profit
- 9% Government
There are 30+ RIT/NTID alumni events and activities in the United States every year.
RIT/NTID Alumni Employment Overview
RIT/NTID alumni thrive in major economic sectors
Alumni Success Stories
Blake Trauger ’06, ’08
As a business team leader at the company’s Pennsylvania plant, Trauger oversees operations on the cab-over line, where the refuse collection trucks are assembled, with a focus on safety, quality, and delivery.
Kayley Judd ’25
RIT/NTID alum Kayley Judd ’25 demonstrated notable achievements throughout her academic journey. After graduating, Judd landed a new job at Procter & Gamble in Ohio, where she is responsible for developing packaging to enhance the product performance across P&G’s Fabric Care businesses.
Valerie Horn ’19
Valerie Horn believes accessibility should be at the forefront of entrepreneurs’ minds when developing their businesses. This belief pushed her to co-found Zestability, a consultation firm that advocates for prioritizing accessibility and inclusive business practices.
Michael Rizzolo ’78
Michael Rizzolo didn’t plan on learning American Sign Language when he came to RIT as a student, but he grew interested and eventually became an interpreter. Today, he is founder and CEO of the interpreting agency Interpretek.
Michelle Giterman ’14
Michelle Giterman ’14 grew up in a Deaf immigrant family that owns Crepe Crazy, a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where Giterman is the general manager. With a strong family background in entrepreneurship, Giterman was always fascinated by how the business world works. Eventually, she attended RIT/NTID to major in finance with an emphasis in communication. She says her time at RIT/NTID and her involvement in the entrepreneurship programs led her to a successful career in finance.
Ebony Watson ’04
Ebony Watson shattered accessibility barriers in the footwear industry, becoming the first deaf footwear designer to earn recognition for her work. Watson has loved footwear since childhood, but she says her journey into fashion was far from easy.
RIT/NTID In the News
RIT/NTID News
RIT/NTID in the News highlights college-wide events, projects, partnerships, exhibits, and other recent developments.
NTID AlumniNews
AlumniNews features top stories, photos of alumni events, information on scheduled happenings, and more.
University Magazine
The RIT University Magazine is a quarterly publication that takes an in-depth look at the RIT campus and the lives of students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
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Any questions? Contact Loriann Macko, director of NTID Alumni and Constituent Relations, at Loriann.Macko@rit.edu.
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Contact Us
Loriann Macko
Director
NTID Alumni and Constituent Relations
LBJ Hall
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
VP: 585-286-4579
Fax: 585-475-7450
lxlnca@rit.edu