To quote from Dr. Seuss’ very first book, “To Think I Saw it On Mullsberry Street!” I’m going to play around with it for a bit, and instead of Mullsberry Street, it should be like this:
 
“To Think I Saw it in St. Paul!”
 
After I left Gallaudet, I came back home and learned that I’m doing my internship, through Augustana College, at Metro Deaf School at St. Paul, Minnesota for the month of January. That’s where I am now, getting lost and figuring out where I am going in the big city.
 
My stay in Washington, DC was an exception because you can take public transportation to just about anywhere. Even with such efficient public transportation, I still managed to lost. My personal theme for the month is “Bermuda Triangle,” my version at least.
 
In St. Paul, merely driving the 15 minutes from my apartment to school, I feel guilty about not finding my way and I hope  that I will make it to school on time. It was not until five days after I arrived that I felt confident and comfortable driving to school.
 
Recently, I met with a group of good friends for a skiing weekend in the southwestern part of Minnesota. A friend told me that it only takes two hours to get to her place from the cities. With me, it takes twice as long to get there, guaranteed. Sure enough, four hours later, I figured out my way to her place.
 

My three good friends and I skied in Alexandria, Minnesota!

However, being lost is just an adventure in itself, and speaking of adventures, Cat and I are excited about and preparing for the upcoming trip to Ohio, the Buckeye State for my next adventure as NAD Miss Deaf America!
 
Stay tuned to hear about the Ohio adventure and keep your fingers crossed that I won’t become lost on the way!
 
I have decided on my goal for this new year: meet new people, learn new things about each location and leave a positive impact as NAD Miss Deaf America. This goal was inspired by all who I have met and the experiences I look forward to. 
 
Also, after I got home from Gallaudet,  I did my talent performance and a brief presentation about my experiences as NAD Miss Deaf America at local nursing home in Bristol where my late grandmother used to live (Just 20 minutes from my home.). Before I left, many residents shared with Mom and me about how they knew my grandmother. Their comments inspired me to live life to the fullest. 

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“Nothing in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

This has proven true for many different circumstances I have been finding myself in. The students, alumni, faculty, staff and people were passionate about their beliefs during the protest on Gallaudet University campus. Even during my visit to NAD headquarters, I was amazed to see that the staff there - every single one of them - fueled with passion to make a difference in for the lives of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. On my trip to Wisconsin, I met different people with the innermost passion to achieve.

On the 19th of September, I visited the NAD Headquarters. I had a tour of the facilities and learned how NAD works and visited with the staff there. From what I’ve learned, the NAD is indeed consumed by passion. Their passion is unmistakable. Needless to say, my visit to the NAD’s headquarters were very inspiring, and overwhelming, learning what NAD has to offer, as they have the wealth of information relating to: history, Deaf rights, advocacy, youth programs, information for the community to start their own programs, and many more! Jennifer Yost Ortiz, Youth Program Coordinator and I went out for a lunch to discuss my next two years as Miss Deaf America.

Jennifer chose the place to eat- a Thai restaurant. It was a struggle for me to get used to international food like Thai. Jennifer had me to try spring rolls, which to a Midwestern gal, is an unique flavored version of egg roll. But, you have to understand where I come from, as the only egg roll that I get is from Schwann’s frozen entrée, or even from Chinese fast food restaurant in town near my home (which is an hour away). So, I’m slowly becoming a well-rounded person, a cultured person when it comes to food. But, I’m still sticking to my South Dakota approved beef, supporting my dad’s business!

Every time I fly for Miss Deaf America travel, my journey is always filled with stories to share! My flight to Wisconsin, for my first engagement: series of presentations, storytelling, talent performances, and appearances, wasn’t any different. In fact, when I boarded the plane from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, I sat by a gentleman who started chatting with me for an hour. It just so happened that his thesis while he was in college was based on Dr. Seuss’ life! I decided that it was time to add to the irony of the evening to mention that my talent is also from Dr. Seuss’ books! From chatting with that gentleman, I realized that everyone has passion to accomplish something in their lives; it’s up to us to find out what it is!

On Thursday night, I arrived at the Milwaukee airport at midnight, and met with my host for the weekend, Denise Johnson. I was dropped off at the hotel near Wisconsin School for the Deaf where my next day’s presentation and talent performance would take place.

On Friday morning, I spoke at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf and Milwaukee Sign Language School in the morning. I also performed my talent at both schools, as well. My costume attracted the children’s attention.

Presenting my story at the DAW Festival.

I was warmly welcomed by the staff at both schools. The students were curious about how I became Miss Deaf America, and how I handled college while being Miss Deaf America, as well! (I am still learning to this day!) My message to the students was summed up in these points: seizing every opportunity while taking yourself out of your comfort zone and do something that you don’t want to do every day! To do something that you don’t want to do, every day is what Mark Twain believed. I excerpted his quote for my presentation.

On Friday afternoon, I toured the Water Tower View (WTV) in Greenfield with Katie Voss and learned that it was designed specifically for the Deaf residents and it was established a year ago. The facilities were designed to accommodate the needs of the residents. If you’re in the area, ensure to stop by for a tour!

I also attended a workshop hosted by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association. They invited Trudy Suggs from Minnesota to present “OOPS! I Didn’t Mean That.”  It was entertaining to participate in the workshop along with others and to discuss Deaf and hearing culture and to debate whether Deaf  people are more severely addicted to pagers than the hearing people. (I second this argument, as it is very evident on Gallaudet campus!) There were many different kinds of discussions about Deaf vs. Hearing culture!

Saturday, I put my crown back on and attended the first annual Wisconsin Deaf Awareness Festival. I told stories about the overall experiences of being Miss Deaf America in storytelling time with the children. I met many different kinds of people all with different passions for their career. For example, I met Ricky Smith, a professional Deaf mime for over thirty years! It is evident that he truly enjoyed his choice of career, when he put his make up and he turned into a completely different person. (I’m embarrassed to admit that I was used to seeing him in makeup, and when he came out after washing his face and wore street clothes, I had to do a double take!)

After the day at Deaf Awareness Week Festival, the committee went out to eat supper. It was my goal for the entire trip to taste the infamous Wisconsin cheese, however, I didn’t have much time to stop and get some. It turned out that the restaurant they chose had Wisconsin cheese soup! So, of course I ordered that after the committee convinced me!

Cheeese!

So, I can say that I’ve tasted the infamous Wisconsin cheese!

Arrived back to east coast from a nice “Midwestern break” in Wisconsin and got back into the daily grind of being student at Gallaudet!

Thank you Wisconsin Association for the Deaf for inviting me up for quite an adventure!

Cat and I appreciated Denise’s hospitality over the weekend. Thank you from both of us! Oh, keeping ourselves busy and having fun over the weekend is the best!

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I just relocated to 800 Florida Avenue, Washington, DC for a semester. Yes, you just figured it out, I am now at Gallaudet University. Before I became NAD Miss Deaf America, I wanted to visit Gallaudet for a semester. It happened to be the semester after I became NAD Miss Deaf America. So, it works out pretty good. I flew over here with four bags of luggage. It is pretty difficult for me to pack and restrict myself to four bags instead of five or six!

My Mom and youngest sister spent four days in the DC area, touring the nation’s capitol before taking me to Gallaudet. Those days were hard days of sight-seeing because we saw as much as we could, and took our second shower in the afternoon after walking few miles around the area. Every time I vacation with my family, it is always an irony because when “normal” people vacation, they go to places where they can relax. On the other hand, when my family goes on vacation,they refuse to relax and work hard during their vacations!

At one point, I was sitting down on the benches near the World War II Memorial with Mom and Shauna (my youngest sister) resting for few minutes before walking another marathon.

I was chatting with Mom, sharing few thoughts of the moment with her. At the same time, my traveling buddy (a.k.a. The Cat in the Hat) reminded me a line from his favorite book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, “From there to here, From here to there, Funny things Are everywhere!” It is indeed everywhere…my Mom overheard one guy sitting at the bench across from us explaining about American Sign Language to his children when they noticed us chatting in sign language.

I grimaced because it was the most wonderful first impression for those children, seeing a sweating deaf person, who happens to be the current NAD Miss Deaf America! It’s the poise that counts, not the appearance…at least that is what I like to think.

Mom, my youngest sister and I pushed ourselves for the next few days of sight-seeing before they left back to South Dakota, leaving me at Washington, DC for a week of New Students Orientation (NSO). Yes, as a transfer student had to undergo the NSO once more. I kept reminding people that I am not a freshman…I am a sophomore.

Like it made any difference…I am still a new kid on campus. Gallaudet just started classes this week so I am officially a full-time student here!

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My hometown, Pierpont had its fourth annual storytelling festival. I volunteered to perform at the talent show. The performance went along wonderfully; of course when I came out from the bathroom after changing into my costume, I got several amused looks from the audience. My grandparents were in the audience and they invited several of their friends from a nearby town. One couple were set on getting a picture of me in my talent costume.

During the show, I was ready to leave between performances to change into a cooler, more decent and civilized outfit. My mom stopped me in the middle, informing me that my grandparents’ friend wanted a picture of me with his wife with the Cat in the Hat outfit.

After the picture… I jumped back into civilized clothes, and one woman, Lois Severson who is a Headstart teacher for young children, approached me and handed me the stuffed Cat in the Hat character. She asked me if I could take the Cat in the Hat on my travels, taking picture of us at each location and write something about our experiences. So, this will be a warning for future blog entries, as you may notice another Cat telling his stories about traveling with the 2006-2008 NAD Miss Deaf America!

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I am at Las Vegas airport as I type this Blog entry. I realize that I am beginning to dislike this airport, despite having a Starbucks at every corner and plenty of places to shop.

The reason why I am not crazy about Las Vegas airport is because on July 31, when I was changing planes on my way to Portland, Oregon. I tried to find another gate, A11 after landing at D32 and somehow, somewhat, somewhere…managed to find myself leaving the secured area and into the baggage claim!

I was disgusted with myself because I knew I would have to go through the security check point again after leaving the secured area. My NAD Miss Deaf America crown was in a clear plastic box, shining brightly, as I carried it in front of me and approached a security guard. I presented a scribbled notepad him which said: “I am lost. I just landed from Denver. Can you help me find the gate where American West 797 will leave from?!”

Fortunately, he was friendly. With only 20 minutes to spare, he rushed to retrieve a ticket for me because I did not have a ticket for the next flight. I finally got the tickets and managed to arrive at the designated gate on time with five minutes to spare and then boarded the plane. I made it!

After a 6:45 am flight out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Denver to Las Vegas, and then finally arriving at Portland, Oregon at 2:04 pm, I was greeted by Andy Donatich, the assistant director under NAD Youth Leadership Camp Director Jennifer Yost Ortiz.

I enjoyed myself at the NAD YLC campground. I met NAD YLC campers, many who were familiar faces as we attended previous camps together. That evening, I gave a fireside presentation where I talked about my experiences at the pageant; the campers paid rapt attention! (See the NAD YLC blog at http://blogs.nad.org/ylc)

The next day, I gave a workshop on attitude and advocacy. Life is 10% of what happens to you, but 90% how you react to it. I emphasized that being successful in life is all about attitude and making a difference in your own and others’ lives. I explained that advocacy is vital in order to preserve our rights as deaf and hard of hearing citizens. Needless to say, giving my first workshop as NAD Miss Deaf America was a learning experience.

The next morning, I woke up early to get ready to leave for South Dakota. After eating breakfast with the campers and met with Jennifer Yost-Ortiz on the expectations for the NAD Miss Deaf America.

Now, let the journeys begin!

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I hosted an appreciation dinner to thank those who worked closely with me, by helping with my pageant, fundraising, providing feedback on my platform, and even giving me a place to stay during my preparations for the NAD Miss Deaf America Pageant.

Thank you to all of those who came to this appreciation party. I apologize that this event was overdue, I just came home 21 days ago from the pageant. So much happened over 21 days with my grandmother passing away soon after I was crowned NAD Miss Deaf America. So, for the past three weeks, I was trying to get used to the idea of being NAD Miss Deaf America and adjusting to the changes in my life.

This is solely for those who worked closely with me and Janet Eisfeld (my beloved chaperone for the pageant!) to get ready for the NAD Miss Deaf America pageant.

To start in the beginning of the preparation, I stayed with Roger and Christine Kraft and their children for over a month. I appreciate their patience and willingness to take me in for that long! Janet joined me for ten days before we flew to California for the NAD Miss Deaf America retreat.

During the stay, I met with a group of ladies who grilled me with the possible interview questions from Christine Kraft, Heidi Branch, Egina Beldon, Arlene Gunderson, and Dana Miles who asked questions such as, “who is your role model and why?” and “How do you think the Deaf community will change in the future?”
(The most memorable interview question from the actual private interview was, “What is your favorite color and why?”)

Within few weeks shy of the pageant, Janet made it possible for me to schedule a meeting with Cherie Cartledge and Paula Sohurada, former Miss Deaf South Dakotas, through Jessica Phillips, to give me advice and tips for the pageant. Paula even took the time to show me how to stand and walk like a poised woman. To this day, I still struggle to do this properly!

You can take a farmer’s daughter out of farm, but you can’t take the farm out of her.

For my platform, I met with Jimmy Beldon and Scot Atkins at coffee shops to see if my platform even made sense. At the end, Jimmy decided to time my platform. Thank goodness that he did, because it was initially too long. So, my platform was changed in every aspect, and the end result was very different than the creation. We also met with Melissa Hawk for feedback on the platform and she also helped with a Tuesday night performance before I left for California that weekend. I appreciate her contribution with her time. However, during all the time spent at coffee shops, Janet realized that I shouldn’t drink coffee before my performances, as I went through my performances with lighting speed.

My experience would not have been possible in the beginning if it wasn’t for Pamela Meinhardt who got everything started as my state director. During the preparations, we stayed up late in the night while she taught me how to walk and act like a cat. Throughout nights like that, I kept asking Christine and Janet if they were even remotely tired…as it often approached 3:00 AM. Pam just looked at me with a sly smile of hers, and said, “nope… keep going. Start from the top!”

I learned to hate the sign, “start from the top.”

Everything would not have been financially possible if it wasn’t for the fundraising committee which consisted of Jenna Ezis-King, Rayni Kaika, Erin Kane, Dee Bailey, Jessica Phillips, Topsy Johnson, Maria Alvarez, Deb Skjeveland, Renee Postl, Angela Rasmussen, Annette Nitko, Tanya Miller, June Park, and Rachel Burton. All of this took place under the leadership of our SDAD president, Tom Kober.

This is the South Dakota team, who made everything possible for me. Thank you for coming tonight, I appreciate everything that you have done for me…words can’t express how grateful I am.

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I am at home right now in South Dakota observing how the heat is taking its toll on the grass.

Enough said by looking at my farm, as there is heat wave going on right now.

Thought I would give you a peek of my farm, seeing how the grass is actually greener on the other side. Mom watered the lawn near the house.

Here are my brief remarks at the ADA Celebration in Sioux Falls, SD:

Thank you for inviting me to come here today; I am honored to be here.

The Americans with Disabilities Act has made a huge impact on my life. Without the ADA, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Here’s why… when I was discovered Deaf at 2 years old, my parents sought out advice from many different professionals, including South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD) and South Dakota Association for the Deaf (SDAD).

SDSD had outreach and workshops for parents with Deaf children to attend. That is how my parents became well-educated on how to raise me. Throughout my childhood, I would have “special visitors” at my home, observing my progress while I thought they traveled long ways to just play with me! In reality, those teachers taught my parents to be a parent to their Deaf daughter.

My Dad said I was born in the right century, just old enough to watch TV with a caption box, a few major network programs were captioned at that time. TVs were being installed with captioning chips due to the Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 which required that all televisions manufactured after that 1993 must have the caption chip.

When I was just old enough to start having good friends, MSN, ICQ, etc was online at the same time. One computer dealer said we were probably the first home in Day County to have internet because my parents wanted me to be connected to the rest of the world (My family likes to be technologically advanced, they got their first computer when I was one month old!)

Speaking of technology, BlackBerry became popular just when I entered college; I finally have a pager, my younger sister already have a cell phone herself. BlackBerry even WORKS in rural South Dakota!

The ADA made life easier for the parents of a Deaf child… the law that requires schools to provide interpreters, no ifs ands or buts about it… MUST provide an interpreter, no matter how much it costs. Because I live in the rural community in northeastern corner of South Dakota, it is pretty difficult to find an interpreter.

The quality of interpreters was brought up when I was in third grade. This issue was brought to the attention of SDSD and SDAD who came to my aid in support for a better quality interpreter. The interpreter that I had wasn’t qualified to interpret for me that time. When I began the fourth grade, I got another interpreter who really opened up my world. I had never known that my peers actually contributed to classroom discussions and learned that students are supposed to work independently. My prior interpreter did not show me that I could do the same thing as my peers.

There are many impacts in the educational field. And there are still issues yet to be resolved, like captioned internet videos, movie theatres, etc but with ADA on our side, it can be resolved with no ifs ands or buts about it.

We are here to celebrate the ADA and appreciate the opportunities became possible through ADA!

Thank you.

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As I unwinded from a hectic week last week in Sioux Falls, I watched the Miss Universe pageant on NBC. I had nostalgic feelings when it came down to top five finalists for Miss Universe… (Miss USA was the 4th runner up-FYI) while Miss Puerto Rico won the crown.

After the program concluded, I chuckled to myself. Here I am, a farmer’s daughter, sharing the same sensation that Miss Universe had the moment she was crowned. At the end of the program, they announced that Miss Teen America pageant will be held at Palm Springs, California…just like the NAD Miss Deaf America Pageant!

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Immediately after I came home from Sioux Falls, I went to Langford for their community day — a day filled with activities. The town board asked if I could perform my talent, Dr. Seuss ASLized during the dedication of the newest addition to the park, a wooden train that my former high school’s industrial arts class built for the community.

My costume has red and white horizontal striped tights, black bodysuit, shorts, white button down shirt, suit jacket, dance shoes, hat, gloves and a bow tie.

Sound like a lot?

In 103 degree heat…it certainly was!

I was worried about a heat stroke because I was wearing my costume while everybody else was wearing fewer clothes than I was.

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I attended the Midwest Athletic Association for the Deaf (MAAD) for the weekend as a volunteer. The last day of MAAD was a night for awards for the players for their excellent performance during the weekend.

I appeared for short time for introductions from Jack Cooper NAD Board Region II Representative to the players and fans that there was a NAD Miss Deaf America in their midst, a humble volunteer!

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