colleen875
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2012
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Hi!!
So..it is my first time here and its cool! My name is Colleen and I am from Massachusetts. I was born deaf and I grew up in a hearing family. I learned ASL at an early age and I went to ASD (American School for the Deaf) from preschool to 7th grade. I left ASD in 7th grade due to personal reasons and I enrolled into a public school in my small town. I must admit it was the hardest thing ever. I was the only deaf student in my town. I struggled because I hated to have an interpreter. I wanted to go to classes on my own and I did that all the time. I was able to make friends and they learned ASL for me. I attended a regular public school in 7th and 8th grade, but then I couldnt attend high school because they didnt offer any help other than an interpreter. They wanted me to have an interpreter with me all day. So I refused to go there. I was forced to be homeschooled and I think I started to have problems since then. I started to feel lonely and I never socialized. I didnt have prom, high school graduation, played sports, or anything like that.
But I managed to go through it and to get a high school diploma. I then went to a community college nearly and I didnt really like it. I wanted to have a college experience away from home. I am not close with my family, even though they know some ASL. I attended a community college for one year and half. During the time I was working SO hard to apply to College of the Holy Cross. The college is very hard to get into, so I got rejected twice. I then went to UMASS Amherst my sophomore year-this past spring semester. I lived in the dorm but i didnt meet any deaf students or anybody that knows ASL. I felt so lonely and I was so uncomfortable in my dorm. I couldnt get support services from UMASS. I barely passed my classes.
Then… I left UMASS after just one semester. Right now I am doing an internship at the Aquarium in Boston and I really like it. I am meeting more deaf people in Boston and it is going better.
But now, I am having a really hard time to decide what to do with schooling.. My family wants me to continue my education at Umass and some others said I should go to Gallaudet or NITD which I just don't agree with. I work so hard to be in the hearing world. I became too involved in the hearing world and I forget what it is like to be in the deaf school. I do want to make deaf friends but I don't know what the right school is for me. I am thinking about University of New Hampshire since they have ASL major/minor? I want to study Zoology.
Sorry this is soooo long!! But I am really lost here. Please help and your opinions!! It will be much appreciated. Thanks so much!!
So..it is my first time here and its cool! My name is Colleen and I am from Massachusetts. I was born deaf and I grew up in a hearing family. I learned ASL at an early age and I went to ASD (American School for the Deaf) from preschool to 7th grade. I left ASD in 7th grade due to personal reasons and I enrolled into a public school in my small town. I must admit it was the hardest thing ever. I was the only deaf student in my town. I struggled because I hated to have an interpreter. I wanted to go to classes on my own and I did that all the time. I was able to make friends and they learned ASL for me. I attended a regular public school in 7th and 8th grade, but then I couldnt attend high school because they didnt offer any help other than an interpreter. They wanted me to have an interpreter with me all day. So I refused to go there. I was forced to be homeschooled and I think I started to have problems since then. I started to feel lonely and I never socialized. I didnt have prom, high school graduation, played sports, or anything like that.
But I managed to go through it and to get a high school diploma. I then went to a community college nearly and I didnt really like it. I wanted to have a college experience away from home. I am not close with my family, even though they know some ASL. I attended a community college for one year and half. During the time I was working SO hard to apply to College of the Holy Cross. The college is very hard to get into, so I got rejected twice. I then went to UMASS Amherst my sophomore year-this past spring semester. I lived in the dorm but i didnt meet any deaf students or anybody that knows ASL. I felt so lonely and I was so uncomfortable in my dorm. I couldnt get support services from UMASS. I barely passed my classes.
Then… I left UMASS after just one semester. Right now I am doing an internship at the Aquarium in Boston and I really like it. I am meeting more deaf people in Boston and it is going better.
But now, I am having a really hard time to decide what to do with schooling.. My family wants me to continue my education at Umass and some others said I should go to Gallaudet or NITD which I just don't agree with. I work so hard to be in the hearing world. I became too involved in the hearing world and I forget what it is like to be in the deaf school. I do want to make deaf friends but I don't know what the right school is for me. I am thinking about University of New Hampshire since they have ASL major/minor? I want to study Zoology.
Sorry this is soooo long!! But I am really lost here. Please help and your opinions!! It will be much appreciated. Thanks so much!!