Mia Fackler is a very engaged Junior here at Sunlake. So, when asked to be a volunteer for Curriculum Night, she gladly agreed. This Night is very important for the incoming freshmen as it lets them explore unique electives and clubs. Mia stated some of the clubs she is a part of, “I am an officer in ASL Club and ASL Honor Society, and I am a member of First Priority, Best Buddies, Book Club, NHS, and Drama Club!” She is the secretary of the ASL Club and an Event Coordinator for the ASL Honor Society. It is very important to be a participant of many diverse clubs. It allows interaction between all kinds of students.
At Curriculum Night, Mia helped the teachers set up the tables and set up the information. She also assisted them move into a Spanish teacher’s class. She stated that, “During the event, I stood outside the room and helped direct people inside so that they knew the foreign languages were in there instead of outside. I also stood behind some of the booths at a certain point in the night to tell people about my experience with ASL and encourage them to try it out!” By being there she led students to their decision of what language they take in Highschool if they want one. The people she was volunteering with were the ASL teachers Mrs. Blomely and Mrs. Peddie, some Spanish teachers, and other student volunteers.
One of her favorite moments of the night was helping a future freshman decide to join the ASL Program. This was especially interesting because the student’s mom had been an ASL interpreter for most of his life. Mia expressed, “Getting to meet someone so well versed in sign was such an awesome experience, and she talked about how she’s going to get the clubs connected to Deaf communities and events in our community!” Without volunteering, she wouldn’t have made that connection and guided the choice of their freshman classes.
Mia is one of the most qualified students to inform others about the ASL Program. So far, she has taken 3 years of ASL and plans on taking it again in her Senior year. Doing this will give her a special language achievement when graduating. As for the clubs, she said, “Next year, I plan on continuing to serve in both the ASL club and honor society. I really enjoy being a part of bringing Deaf awareness to our school and being able to lead in such a great position!” Mia is a key piece to the ASL Program at Sunlake and an involved student in many ways.
