Awards for Excellence in Deafblind Education

Christine Givens lives in Spring, Texas, with her husband, George, and is a mother of 3 girls, Skye-27, Leili-20 (adopted from China), and Rachel-17 (adopted from China - profoundly deaf). She has been a member of The Deaf-Blind Multihandicapped Association of Texas (DBMAT) for 20+ years! Currently, she serves as a board member for the DBMAT. She advocated for Skye her entire life, starting in NICU through 22 school years with Klein ISD, Texas Workforce Commission, and most recently Medically Fragile Option under Star+Waiver. She is a graduate of TSBVI’s Family Leadership Training and TSBVI’s Systems Leadership Training. She volunteered as a parent participant on the Governmental Affairs Committee with the Arc of Texas in Austin, Texas. She is a current board member of the Society for the Advancement of Floral Design.

Hello! My name is Mary Collins, and I am a Deafblind intervener and interpreter. I have worked in an ISD for twelve years. Seven years ago, I met a student who was DeafBlind, and I knew nothing of DeafBlindness. I just knew they needed extra patience and a different way to approach things. As I was seeking out resources and help, I learned about interveners and became one. That has been my focus for the last seven years. I enjoy volunteering for camps while learning new perspectives and techniques to use in the future. My family is my life. I love hanging out with them, playing board games, going on adventures, making connections, and just being silly.  

Rhonda Cole is a Deafblind Intervener at Mesquite ISD, currently in her third year with her student. She attended West Texas State University (now affiliated with A & M University) and she holds a Deafblind Intervener Certificate from Central Michigan University. She has over 25 years of experience in Deaf Education. Previously, Rhonda worked as a Communication Facilitator and Interpreter in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia, from 1999 to 2014. She returned to her home state of Texas, and in 2015, joined the Mesquite Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, where she continues to work.

Jennifer Wilson has been a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments for the majority of her 20 years as an educator. In 2018, she recognized that the unique needs of her students who were Deafblind were not being properly addressed so she completed the graduate certificate program in DB to learn how to better serve these students. Through her work with these students, she was lucky enough to meet the staff at the Mesquite Regional Day School Program for the Deaf where she now has the privilege of serving as the TDB. In this role her favorite part is helping others recognize the amazing personalities and abilities of these students as they bloom and come out of their shells to connect with the people and environment around them!

Kelly Torrey currently serves as a Test Development Specialist with the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Standards and Testing team. Kelly’s work at the agency centers on special education-related standards development and certification exams, as well as related rulemaking. Prior to joining the agency Kelly was a special education teacher and administrator in the Austin area for 9 years. She lives in Round Rock with her husband and 5-year-old son, Arthur.