Transcript:
Hello, my name is Keegan. Four years ago, I started to learn American Sign Language. It all started sophomore year of high school, when I was browsing YouTube, and a video of an ASL song interpretation appeared in my recommended list. I thought it sounded interesting, so I clicked on it and I became entirely entranced by its beauty. I started looking up simple signs through lifeprint.com, and I got down to business teaching myself sign language.
Senior year rolled around and college application time hit me like a brick wall. I had to choose whether between pursuing ASL-Interpreting, a subject which I was very passionate about but had little experience in, and a STEM major, which I had lots of experience in but I was burned out because of it at that time.
I received a letter from the Rochester Institute of Technology saying that I have been accepted for ASL-Interpreting. After some critical deliberation, I accepted it and started my first semester in that major. I took two ASL-centered classes: ASL II and Sign Mime theater. My skills improved majorly during this period. I did well in my classes and felt successful. However, I started to ask myself if I truly wanted to pursue a career as an interpreter. Do not get me wrong, I love the language, but I know myself well enough that I would not enjoy interpreting other people’s words the rest of my life. I would rather play with the language with my own voice.
Between semesters, I switched into my current major, computational mathematics, and have had no regrets about switching. I still continue to learn ASL in my spare time, and I even teach sign for a club at RIT called No Voice Zone. I cannot be more pleased with this middle ground between my two passions of ASL and STEM.
Thanks for listening! Have a nice day!
