by Paul D. Rosevear
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After getting her bachelor of arts degree in social science, Connie earned an associate degree as an interpreter for the deaf. She did interpreting work when it was available while working a full-time social worker's job, and eventaully left both to raise a family. Ten years later, the lure of the language that captured her interest in the past beckoned her once again.
"I had 10 long years to think about my next career move," Connie jokes. "I always knew I was attracted to the idea of working with the hearing-challenged. I just didn't realize that in order to work with them in the capacity I desired, I'd have to take a teaching position. So I began seeking out deaf education programs."
After a few inquiries to some of those with whom she had worked during her days as an interpreter, Connie got some school recommendations - one of which was Texas Women's University (Dallas). The school had a long-standing, reputable curriculum in deaf ed. What she didn't know, however, was that they had recently made the degree available online.
"I couldn't believe it when I found out I could study via the Internet," she says. "I would have commuted to the campus if I had to, because I wanted it that badly. But the hours each day I'd have to spend traveling, I can now spend on my studies and with my family."
The mother of two is one of 30 deaf education students at TWU earning a master's degree in the education of the deaf/hearing-impaired through the school's online program, and she'll be one of the first graduates when she completes her studies next year.
"I really lucked out because TWU has offered this degree for many years, and I run into people all the time who graduated from the program," she says. "Even though I'm studying online, I'm learning from the same professors they learned from on campus. I still benefit from the history of the program."
And studying online doesn't keep her planted behind a computer. "We're required to do field work as well, and visit different school districts to observe classes," she explains. "The great part is, I can set those meetings up according to my own schedule."
Connie still enjoys personal contact with her instructors -- an important part of education that is not lost in the online environment. "There's a relationship established between the professor and students even though you communicate online and learn at a distance," she says.
For many people, the challenge of discovering your inner passion is a process in and of itself. But Connie had her heart set on the career of her dreams long ago. Her particular challenge had to do with how she could achieve that dream.
"When I work with hearing-challenged people, and I use the language of sign, I truly feel alive," she says. "I caught on to the language very easily, and it's very natural to me. I am passionate about my family, and I also have this other part of me that is passionate about working with the hearing impaired. Now I have both."
© 2006 Classes USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
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