The American Sign Language program at Clemson University has been offered since 2000, and has grown significantly, becoming an important part of Clemson's language and cultural programs. Students later created the ASL Club that serves to bring together many different majors and minors who share an interest in the Deaf community and the language through connecting students with local Deaf community members. 

I have attended Clemson ASL Club events since my Freshman year, and my participation has grown more and more throughout my time at Clemson. The ASL Club has provided a supportive environment for learning and practicing language outside of the classroom, which is imperative for language growth. Events and activities with the Deaf community allowed me to experience ASL in an authentic social setting, and this cultural exposure is important to fully grow and understand the language and culture. 

A unique tradition that Clemson ASL Club holds annually since 2001  is to perform the National Anthem in ASL at the football stadium. This event strongly highlights the visibility of ASL and the importance of accessibility and representation of ASL and the Deaf community. Pictured includes the group who signed the National Anthem in 2025. 

During the trip, we traveled to New Zealand and Australia and communicated primarily through American Sign Language while also learning elements of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and Auslan (Australian Sign Language). This experience showed how deep the Deaf community truly is, and how connected each community is, even when their languages differ. Navigating a multitude of different languages pushed me to become more flexible and communication, relying heavily on visual communication, gesture, and shared cultural knowledge to understand each other, as well as the willingness to learn each other's manual alphabets and different signs. 

This trip made me more confident in my ability to adapt in the moment, and showed me how important visual communication is in any setting. The aspect of getting to experience three or more different languages in one room was awesome, and taught me how to overcome language barriers. This experience was my absolute favorite that I have had while at Clemson, and deepened my appreciation and allyship with the sign language community worldwide, and highlighted how language and culture are deeply interconnected. 

Starting in high school and continuing into my college career, I have volunteered in a multitude of different schools. I was a participant in a Teacher Cadet program, which allowed me to complete my practicum in an early-learning self-contained special education classroom. During this time, I had many opportunities to gain hands-on experience, including working with individualized education plans (IEPs), creating and teaching lessons, supporting students working towards invidual goals, and assisting the teachers with daily tasks and activities. Within every volunteering experience that I have had over the years, I learn more and more about how different teaching strategies are used to meet the diverse academic, behavioral, and communication needs of students across all settings. 

Volunteering in schools has been extremely valuable as it has allowed me to apply what I learn in my coursework to real classroom settings. This has helped me to better understand how I can support my future students, and how important flexibility, patience, and creativity truly are in special education. Volunteering has also given me the opportunity to make connections and build relationships with both teachers and students, helping me with future jobs and seeing the progress that students make over time. 

Being in the classroom early allows me to develop practical skills and experience needed to support my future students effectively, while also helping me confirm my passion for working with students that have diverse learning needs. Experiences such as this have strengthened my commitment to the field of educating students who often get overlooked, and have helped me prepare for the responsibility of that. 

USAB is a student-led leadership organization that supports Clemson College of Education and represents the voices of undergraduate students within the college. This board works to promote the welfare of the student body, strengthen relationships between students and faculty, and serve as ambassadors both on campus and in the surrounding community. Members participate in recruitment events, help organize speakers and professional development opportunities, work to develop initiatives that engage current students and attract prospective education majors, and do outreach and events with local surrounding schools of all ages. 

During my time as an education major, I served as a member of the board for my first year, and then got elected to be the External Relations Committee Chair my sophomore year. The board has several different committees that focus on different aspects of student engagement and service, each working to strengthen the impact of the college of education in different ways. 

As the chair of external relations, my role focused on building connections between the college and broader community, including elementary to high schools, alumni, faculty, and prospective students, all strengthening the future of education and increasing awareness to the variety of opportunities within the college of education. 

Serving on this board was a meaningful leadership experience for me, allowing me to advocate for students while also contributing to the growth of the community. 

Creative Inquiry (CI) is an undergraduate research program that allows students to participate in hands-on research while earning academic credit at the same time. It is conducted through a multitude of small research teams that are led by faculty members, and conduct research on many different subjects. 

The CI that I participated in was the Martha's Vineyard ASL CI with Dr. Cripps, which focuses on the history of the Deaf community in Martha's Vineyard. Historically, MV was a town where both Deaf and hearing individuals communicated effectively through MV Sign Language, and people on the island saw no issue with deafness. This unique signing community lasted for centuries, but started to disappear around 1952. 

We conduct research on the history, language, and community of MV during this time through genealogical and historical research and collaborate with MV community organizations such as the MV library, museum, and other media outlets. This CIs goal is to work with MV and make their history known, and work to bring sign language back to the island. 

While on the trip, we got the chance to visit the local libraries, museums, beaches, and more. Seeing the history and the community embrace signed language on the island was an amazing experience.