Soleil Anderson is a dedicated educator specializing in deaf and hard of hearing education, with a Listening and Spoken Language endorsement from Utah State University and a masters degree in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University. Her experience in the field reflects her commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments that empower students to thrive.  She is passionate about language acquisition and is an advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing families she serves.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Soleil enjoys an active family life filled with adventure and exploration. This summer, her family embarked on an unforgettable journey to Sweden, where they immersed themselves in the language, culture, and beauty of the country. Passionate about learning language, Soleil and her family communicate in several languages including English, American Sign Language,  Swedish, Italian, and some Portuguese.  

melissaj@usdb.org

Melissa Julien was born Deaf as was her sister.  She received a bachelor’s degree in Family Science from Utah State University. She taught American Sign Language (ASL) classes at various colleges. Before teaching at the college level, she taught high school at a Deaf charter school in Mesa, Arizona for 5 years. Then, she was the principal at this same school for several years. She is currently a mother of 4 children, an exceptional sports photographer, an ASL life coach, and has her own businesses.  

 She is now living in St. George, Utah. She loves to play all sports, especially basketball and volleyball.  Each day she must practice yoga, meditation, and read self-help books to maintain her sense of purpose.

  The reason why Melissa wanted to become a Deaf Mentor is because she worked with Deaf children who suffered devastating ramifications of language deprivation through her teaching career. She knows that by spreading awareness about language development in deaf children, more deaf children will have better outcomes than many of the students she worked with. Melissa wants to let families know that ASL is the key to success in deaf children. She wants families to know that once a deaf child has full access to this language, he/she will thrive through understanding they are loved, have solid connections with others, and have a strong sense of belonging. It is her passion to expose and teach ASL to these families in order to maximize their success and enrich their familial relationships.