The Right Fit

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.