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RN-T.com - Deaf GNTC grad beats the odds A poor deaf child from Jamaica is now a family man and graduate of Georgia Northwestern Technical College
It took a long journey, full of struggle and persistence, for Rome resident Norris Maxwell to get where he is today.
Once a child begging for food on the streets of Jamaica, he was adopted by a missionary. He graduated from Georgia Northwestern Technical College in January with a degree in automotive repair.
Deaf by the age of 5, Maxwell grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, and struggled to communicate in a culture that is quick to assume deaf children are mentally retarded, according to his adoptive mother Carol Williams.
With his parents and seven siblings, Maxwell lived in a shack that lacked electricity and running water, according to his wife Donna Maxwell, who translated for him. While roaming the streets, a Jamaican woman discovered he was deaf and directed him to the local Christian Deaf Fellowship, which served as a mission center for the deaf.
Williams taught sign language at the center and met Maxwell when he was 11 years old. He struggled to express himself with rudimentary sign language. One night, Williams heard an odd sound outside her patio and looked down to see Maxwell’s head pop up.
He gestured to ask if he could sleep on her sofa. She agreed but signed that she would permit one night, and then he would have to leave in the morning.
“One night turned into many years,” Williams said.
Over time, the bond between Williams and Maxwell strengthened. As he approached his 18th birthday, Williams was faced with a decision. She could bring him to the U.S. for further education, or he could stay there and likely be forced to drop out at the age of 18.
“I knew what the education was like down there compared to up here, and I knew he could get three more years of education (in the states),” said Williams.
The new family unit settled into Cave Spring, and Maxwell attended the Georgia School for the Deaf. He also studied in Georgia Highlands College’s deaf program. He attended First Baptist of Cave Spring and was active in the church as a sign language teacher.
It was at First Baptist that his life changed once more. He met his wife at the church while she was taking classes from him.
“I have always had an interest in sign language, but I never really thought I would use it,” she said with a laugh.
They married in 1998, and Maxwell worked for nine years as a dishwasher at Redmond Regional Medical Center.
“He wanted to get more education,” said Donna Maxwell. “He knew that just washing dishes wasn’t going to give him the kind of life that he wanted for his family.”
With a love for balance and quality work, Maxwell set his sights on automotive repair while attending GNTC. He recently graduated after five years of part-time study.
“He thought he could make it a career, as it was something he really enjoyed doing,” Donna Maxwell said. “From sanding to focusing on balancing the paint right, he likes it to be perfect.”
Things aren’t totally going his way, yet. He currently works as a dishwasher at Darlington School and is looking for a job in the automotive repair field.
It took a long journey, full of struggle and persistence, for Rome resident Norris Maxwell to get where he is today.
Once a child begging for food on the streets of Jamaica, he was adopted by a missionary. He graduated from Georgia Northwestern Technical College in January with a degree in automotive repair.
Deaf by the age of 5, Maxwell grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, and struggled to communicate in a culture that is quick to assume deaf children are mentally retarded, according to his adoptive mother Carol Williams.
With his parents and seven siblings, Maxwell lived in a shack that lacked electricity and running water, according to his wife Donna Maxwell, who translated for him. While roaming the streets, a Jamaican woman discovered he was deaf and directed him to the local Christian Deaf Fellowship, which served as a mission center for the deaf.
Williams taught sign language at the center and met Maxwell when he was 11 years old. He struggled to express himself with rudimentary sign language. One night, Williams heard an odd sound outside her patio and looked down to see Maxwell’s head pop up.
He gestured to ask if he could sleep on her sofa. She agreed but signed that she would permit one night, and then he would have to leave in the morning.
“One night turned into many years,” Williams said.
Over time, the bond between Williams and Maxwell strengthened. As he approached his 18th birthday, Williams was faced with a decision. She could bring him to the U.S. for further education, or he could stay there and likely be forced to drop out at the age of 18.
“I knew what the education was like down there compared to up here, and I knew he could get three more years of education (in the states),” said Williams.
The new family unit settled into Cave Spring, and Maxwell attended the Georgia School for the Deaf. He also studied in Georgia Highlands College’s deaf program. He attended First Baptist of Cave Spring and was active in the church as a sign language teacher.
It was at First Baptist that his life changed once more. He met his wife at the church while she was taking classes from him.
“I have always had an interest in sign language, but I never really thought I would use it,” she said with a laugh.
They married in 1998, and Maxwell worked for nine years as a dishwasher at Redmond Regional Medical Center.
“He wanted to get more education,” said Donna Maxwell. “He knew that just washing dishes wasn’t going to give him the kind of life that he wanted for his family.”
With a love for balance and quality work, Maxwell set his sights on automotive repair while attending GNTC. He recently graduated after five years of part-time study.
“He thought he could make it a career, as it was something he really enjoyed doing,” Donna Maxwell said. “From sanding to focusing on balancing the paint right, he likes it to be perfect.”
Things aren’t totally going his way, yet. He currently works as a dishwasher at Darlington School and is looking for a job in the automotive repair field.