updated July 11, 2003IT'S ME.....RUBY aka ISign!You can read about my Journey to Becoming a Sign Language Interpreter HERE. Those of you coming from Hear Our Hands, ClubASL, or Deaf Web Ring webrings...please click on the above link to read my journal. This is ME! at the wonderful age of 34. I'm the wife of a U.S. Coast Guardsman and the mom of three great kids. Three years ago I began my training in American Sign Language at Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Chattanooga, TN. The picture above is off the social and behavior science departments section of the college website. After completing their American Sign Language Studies program I then transferred to Vancouver, WA (right outside Portland, OR) to attend a very prestigious Sign Language Interpretation Program at Portland Community College. I was accepted into this program on June 4, 2003 and will begin on September 23, 2003. I am currently employed with the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Washington. I am a 1:1 Sign Language Interpreter for a deaf/autistic boy, which to me, is EXCITING! and such a grand opportunity. Working with this boy in a special education classroom has refocused my long-term goals. I'm on my way to a degree in Sign Language Intepreting and graduating with the skills to become a certified interpreter; however, after that takes place I desire to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and get my BA in education and an MA in Deaf Education. Ultimately, I desire to be a teacher of the deaf and leave the same mark on students that the teachers in my past have left on me. I volunteer at the Washington State School for the Deaf during special activities whenever I can. This fall I will begin my "Service to Community Scholarship" work at WSD, which is so incredibly exciting. I will work there eight hours per week and in return I receive $1,500 towards this year's college fees. I can't wait to get more hands on experience at a residential school. As I'm sure you can see, American Sign Language is my passion, my hearts desire, and absolutely perfect for me. I'm honored, humbled, and grateful that God chose ME to do this work for him! A bit about the rest of my life....my family and I attend church at New Beginnings Christian Center, the home of Larry Huch Ministries in Portland, Oregon. This church is a rockin' place to be. Spirit filled, Charismatic, Word of Faith church where EVERYONE can have a NEW BEGINNING! This church has truly been a lighthouse to our family as we brave the lifestyle of the west coast during our tour here. My hobbies include scrapbooking, reading various magazines in my never-ending hunt for NEW recipes, and taking photographs of nearly everything and everyone. My desire is to someday learn how to ballroom dance, to visit England and Australia, ride cross country on a Harley Davidson, take a flight in a Hot Air Balloon, and to take a Cruise to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas. I've been to the Bahamas on Sovereign of the Seas...but the time has come to take a voyage on the biggie!!! For thrills I ride roller coasters! Any and ALL roller coasters, and cannot WAIT to take our family trip to CEDAR POINT in Sandusky, Ohio. We are waiting until all three children are tall enough to ride the MILLENIUM COASTER! We want to make sure that all of us can enjoy everything in the park! Well, that's me in a nutshell, but this is not the end of the site...please, let's continue on. Pick a link at the bottom of the page. Thanks!  |
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