During the Great American Teach-In, Jessica Romonosky, a junior at Sunlake, had the great opportunity to hear from a speaker. The speaker was a Deaf teacher who shared his experiences about living in a world full of people who can hear. “He told stories about his childhood and challenges he faced and gave us an insight on what life was like growing up Deaf,” Jessica said. He not only explained what it was like, but he visualized it in a way that students were able to feel his emotions. “It made me feel inspired because although many people tend to look down upon Deaf people, he showed us how he was able to accomplish many great things,” Jessica shared.

The speaker even shared what life was like during the birth of cochlear implants and how it’s still a controversial topic today. During this presentation, there were many interesting facts about the different ways Deaf people learn. “He talked about how kids who are Deaf make up their own signs for some words, he even showed us the sign for the manatee him and his siblings made up!” Jessica said. This experience gave students a unique perspective on the Deaf community and the strength within it.