“It has Been a Privilege”
The phone rings. I rush over and grab the receiver just in time. “Hello” I say breathlessly. A fast-talking woman greets me. “Hi, my name is Kate and I am calling on behalf of Visa.” I think to myself, great another courtesy call. Kate interrupts my thoughts. “Is Susan Johnson there?” My response is automatic. “She’s deaf, can I relay the message?” Kate replies with a quick, ‘Hmm, that’s ok, I’ll just try back later.” Before I can respond that my mother will always be deaf no matter when “Kate” calls back, she says goodnight and hangs up. I can
feel the anger start to build up; my cheeks start to grow hot.
It happens all too often. People call for my parents and when they find out they are deaf they conveniently say they will call back later. They feel it is too much of a hassle to talk through me, my parents’ interpreter to the hearing world. This simple example exemplifies the constant struggle my parents face everyday when they step into the hearing world. Yes, my parents are handicapped in that they are unable to hear and this puts them at a disadvantage, but they still deserve to be treated with respect and given a fair opportunity, don’t they?
As a result of my parent’s deafness, I have seen them overcome obstacles, turn their cheek in the face of discrimination and most importantly, never use their deafness as an excuse. These life lessons of hard work, forgiveness and determination have shaped who I am as an individual.
It has been a unique and wonderful opportunity growing up with two deaf parents, a situation which has allowed me to experience the better of two worlds. The deaf community is a close-knit one that acts as an ”extended family” lending support, offering advice and creating a fun and diverse social scene, all of which I have seen first hand due to my upbringing. I have not “missed out” on anything as a result of growing up with deaf parents. Instead, my life thus far has been enriched by this deaf culture and language, which surrounds me.
In today’s advanced world, continuing one’s education becomes not only increasingly more important each and every day, but in my opinion, is the crucial factor in whether or not one “makes” it in today’s world. Only through education can one begin to understand this complex, global world in which we live. Knowledge is not inherent; it must be learned both in the classroom and out in the “real world.” For these reasons, education is of primary importance. Therefore, I take my own education extremely seriously, as it is the key to my future.
My all-encompassing career aspiration is to leave my mark here on earth. I don’t have to be famous or rich, I just want to know that I have made a difference even if it is only in one person’s life. I want to use my education to make this happen. I know not everyone in the world is given the chance to be well educated and so I see my own education as a privilege and not a right. I feel I have a responsibility to those less fortunate that have not been given this opportunity to learn even the basics of reading and writing. With my double major in economics and political science, I would love to work in a third world country restructuring local governments and economies. I hope that my semester abroad in Ghana next spring will only be the first of many trips to Africa. It has been a privilege growing up with two wonderful parents who have taught me to love and embrace diversity. My dream is to share this incredible experience, which I know is possible through education, living life to the fullest, and making the most of every opportunity.
Ms. Johnson graduated from the Acton-Boxboro Regional High School in Boxboro, MA. She plans to attend the University of North Carolina and
will double major in economics and political science. Louise is a member of the National Honor Society and was on the Dean’s list for the last two years in school. She participated in sports activities throughout her high school career and was tri-captain of three varsity sports in her senior year. In her spare time she has worked part-time to amass funds for college.
