DIRECTOR

Kim is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who has experience working at a school for the deaf, as well as presenting and publishing on topics related to language acquisition, bilingualism, and language deprivation. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Vermont in 2010, her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Gallaudet University in 2012, and her Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD) in 2022. She is a board-certified specialist in child language (BCS-CL) through the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders and is co-founder of the American Board of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialists (ABDHHS).

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Mike is a Deaf itinerant teacher of the deaf at a southeast North Carolina public school district servicing 16 Deaf and hard of hearing children and he teaches American Sign Language at a local community college. Mike attended National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BSW in Social Work. A year later, he received his Master’s in Deaf Education from the University of Rochester. He later furthered his graduate studies at the University of North Texas with a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2008 and also completed his graduate studies at Eastern New Mexico University in ESL/TESOL in 2015. He has taught Deaf children at schools for the Deaf and public schools as well as provided vocational rehabilitation counseling services to deaf adults.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Kinya is a speech-language pathologist who received her Bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in American Sign Language in 2016 and her Masters in Speech- Language Pathology in 2018, both from Western Kentucky University. She received her PhD from the University of Kentucky in 2024. Kinya began her career at the Kentucky School for the Deaf and has since worked in outpatient pediatric clinics and in public schools. Her current role is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Disorders program at the University of Louisville. Kinya has presented on topics related to speech and language services for deaf and hard of hearing children and authored her own theoretical framework, The Fundamental Framework for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

EVENT COORDINATOR

Laura is a speech-language pathologist at the Rochester School for the Deaf. She received her B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 and her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Saint Louis University in 2019. During her graduate work, she completed a thesis titled, “Perspectives of the Deaf on Speech-Language Services” that investigated the experiences of young Deaf adults with speech-language pathologists. Guided by her experience, she wrote an article for the ASHA Leader magazine titled “More Than Articulation,” describing the importance of incorporating Deaf culture and community into intervention with Deaf students.Laura is a child of Deaf adults (CODA) which affords her a unique perspective and fuels her desire to make speech-language intervention a positive experience for Deaf children. In her current work, she provides assessment and intervention services in ASL and English.

ASL CONTENT SPECIALIST

Jaime, MSW and MASLED, has over 10 years of American Sign Language teaching experience, training and mentoring student interpreters and professional interpreters. She is a faculty member at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Jaime attended NC School for the Deaf in Morganton, NC from K to 12 and matriculated at Gallaudet University with triple majors: Social Work, Psychology and Art History & Museum Studies. She also has two Master's degrees: Social Work and Sign Language Education. She has served on the NC Interpreters and Transliterators Licensing Board and continues to serve on the NC Association of the Deaf Board. Jaime is dedicated to paying particular attention to marginalized children as she strongly feels that is important that our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being is valued and nurtured as a whole.

CONTENT CREATOR

Holly is a teacher for the Deaf/hard of hearing. In her current role, she is working as an Educational Consultant for students who are Deaf/hard of hearing for a low incidence team in Alberta, Canada. She is hard of hearing, fitted with two hearing aids.She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics from the University of Alberta in 2017 and her M.Sc. in Special Education with a concentration in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education from Minot State University. Over the last seven years, she has become increasingly involved in the Deaf community. She has also been involved in work with early childhood aged DHH children, facilitating language learning and acquisition of both English and American Sign Language. This includes working with children in specialized preschool programs, kindergarten classrooms, mainstream public classrooms, and deaf education classrooms.

ASL CONTENT SPECIALIST

Heidi has been an educator in Deaf education for more than 20 years. She holds certifications in E-12 Deaf and Hard of Hearing, E-12 American Sign Language, Principal, ASL/English Bilingual Early Childhood Education, Council on Education of the Deaf (CED), and ACUE Effective Teaching Practice Framework. She received her doctorate degree from Lamar University in 2018. Heidi specializes in early language acquisition, ASL/English bilingual education, family literacy, and fingerspelling. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education at Lamar University and directs a graduate program in Deaf Education. Heidi has presented at various conferences and serves on the Associate of College Educators - Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACE-DHH) Board as Assistant Membership Chair.

CONTENT EXPERT

Mallorie has been an educational audiologist working with students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing in schools for the deaf and local public schools for 20 years. She has also been an adjunct professor for teacher preparation in Deaf Education through California State University Northridge (CSUN). In this role, she contributed to the preparation of future teachers of the Deaf and modeled the importance of collaboration with all stakeholders in Deaf Education. She has given local, state, and national presentations and workshops on providing meaningful and relevant audiological services to Pre-K-12 DHH students. Additionally, she has provided workshops and trainings regarding implicit bias in the fields of Audiology and Deaf Education.

ASL CONTENT SPECIALIST

Jennifer is the Educational Interpreter Project Coordinator for Florida; she works with all K-12 educational interpreters across Florida. She holds certifications in: Elementary Education, Reading Education, Deaf Education, and an endorsement in ESOL.She is passionate about Deaf Education and providing the best access to education and language for all Deaf and hard of hearing students. Jennifer believes in working with all staff members who work with Deaf and Hard of hearing students because we all should share the same goal of providing the best of best for our DHH students.

CONTENT EXPERT

Leah is the Director of the Early Intervention Studies graduate programs at Gallaudet University—programs she herself completed as a student. A proud three-time Gallaudet alum, she holds an MA in Linguistics (2010), a Graduate Certificate (2023), and an MA (2024) in Early Intervention Studies. She earned her PhD in Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin. Leah is the co-author of ASL at Home, a routine-based ASL curriculum for families with young deaf children, and serves as a Commissioner for the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE) and as a Board Member of the American Board of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (ABDHHS).

ASL CONTENT SPECIALIST

Latrina, a proud Dallas native with 20 years of teaching experience in public schools and at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB), now serves as a Family Services Specialist for the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH). She is also a Family Language Connector Program (FLCP) Coordinator through the Heritage Sign Languages Center (HSLC) in collaboration with Gallaudet University. Latrina co-founded Arizona Black Deaf Excellence (ABDE)—a support group and social club dedicated to uplifting the Black Deaf community through shared resources, scholarships for Black Deaf youth, and cultural events. She also works in theater as the Director of Artistic Sign Language (DASL), also known as a Sign Master, ASL Master, or ASL Coach, specializing in working with signing actors on stage or providing feedback to ASL interpreters for sign-interpreted performances at Tucson Broadway and Arizona Theater Company (ATC). 

CONTENT CREATER

Marissa is a multilingual speech-language pathologist who specializes in working with children who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Deaf with other complex communication needs, as well as children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that use English, Spanish, or ASL as their first language(s). Marissa has experience working in private practice, mainstream schools, early intervention, and residential bilingual school environments. Marissa holds a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and is the recipient of an OSEP grant titled "Improving Early Language and Pre-Literacy Outcomes for Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children". In her off time, Marissa loves reading books, swimming, and learning new languages.

CONTENT EXPERT

Quinn is a bilingual, American Sign Language (ASL), certified speech-language pathologist at a school for a Deaf in New York. She received her B.A in Linguistics from Montclair State University with a concentration in ASL, and her M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Mercy College. She primarily services DeafDisabled students targeting Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and expressive and receptive language in ASL. She also currently works in a private practice servicing families in northern New Jersey. Quinn has worked with both neurotypical and neurodiverse populations through various bilingual approaches with ASL and AAC. Quinn has conducted and presented research about AAC use with d/Deaf individuals on the national and international level. Quinn currently holds her ASL-PI certificate from Gallaudet University. She currently resides in New Jersey.

ASL CONTENT SPECIALIST

Britta Schwall is a third-generation Deaf bilingual with a deep passion for ending language deprivation and promoting linguistic equity. She holds a Master’s degree in Language and Literacy Education from Boston University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Britta is the Marketing and Translation Coordinator at the ASL Education Center, where she combines her strategic expertise with a commitment to accessible and inclusive education for K-12.

ASL CONTENT SPECIALIST

Claire is a Deaf individual, native ASL user, and passionate advocate for empowering families to develop meaningful relationships with their deaf and hard of hearing children. With a Master's degree in Deaf Education and experience as a Deaf Mentor, Claire is deeply committed to bridging communication gaps and supporting families in creating inclusive and supportive environments. Coming from a hearing family herself, she brings a unique perspective to the challenges and rewards of communication across different experiences, particularly in navigating the complexities of Deaf and hearing identities. When Claire isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her family, the WNBA, traveling, and cooking!

INTERPRETER

Alvina has worked as a nationally certified ASL-English interpreter for 18 years in settings and experiences including VRS, DeafBlind, medical, entertainment, government, school for the deaf, designated interpreter for a deaf leader, post secondary, VRI, mental health, employment, and recreation/adventure. She earned her National Interpreter Certification - Advanced in 2007 and was recognized with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf: Educational Interpreter certified credential in 2012. She is an alumnus of University of Northern Colorado with a baccalaureate degree in ASL-English Interpreting. She was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and now lives and works in Saint Augustine, Florida.

INTERPRETER

Andrea Rehkopf has been interpreting professionally since 2006.  She grew up in Michigan, lived in Austin, Texas for a few years and now resides in Colorado. Andrea works in a variety of settings as a freelance interpreter, such as: post secondary education, meetings, mental health, platform, high profile settings and many many more.

INTERPRETER

Katie Fitzpatrick is an NIC Advanced and BEI III. Katie has been a nationally certified ASL/English interpreter since 2007, and an interpreter educator since 2015. Their personal and professional life have both been deeply ingrained with a passion for all aspects of language, which culminated in an MA in Linguistics from Gallaudet University. They strongly believe that fully accessible language acquisition shapes and molds every nook and cranny of our lives, and is proud to play a small part in this process!

INTERPRETER

Jackie Emmart, MS, NIC-A, is a Hawai’i-based ASL interpreter who is known for her enthusiasm, commitment to community engagement, and honesty. In addition to perpetually redefining what it means to be a supportive and responsive CrossFit and Community Health Coach, she is committed to the continual development of her craft as an ethical, effective, and competent ASL interpreter with strengths as a generalist as well as in specialty settings. The bulk of her practice can be found in public health, pediatric and adult health care, community and higher education, non-profit management, professional development, and local press conferences. Her work in pediatric health care is guided by the belief that regardless of their age, all youth have the right to be fully informed about and participate in every aspect of their own care, which aligns her with the mission of Language First and the great work they do.

INTERPRETER

Jose is a Rio Grande Valley (south Texas) native.  He moved to San Antonio, TX where he received his A.A.S. in American Sign Language – Sign Language Interpreting and A.A. in American Sign Language from San Antonio College in 2013.  Jose works in a variety of settings including post-secondary, K-12, medical, conference, theatrical, cruise/tourism, VRS, and virtual.  He has previously served as a board member for the Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf (TSID) and is a member of other various organizations.  In December 2021, Jose graduated from William Woods University with a B.S. in Interpretation Studies ASL-English and a minor in Business Administration.  Jose currently resides in San Antonio, TX where he continues to interpret, develop workshops, and works as a mentor with students at his alma mater of San Antonio College.  He currently holds his Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) – Advanced level and his Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf – National Interpreter Certificate. 

INTERPRETER

Cristine has a Bachelor of Science in Hydrogeology and has been interpreting professionally since 1991, first as a Michigan State certified interpreter and then earning national certification (RID CI/CT) in 2005.  She has worked in a variety of settings, but focuses on post-secondary education, medical and mental health, and working with Deaf professionals. She lives in Michigan with her husband and elderly kitty and enjoys exploring other countries, trying out new recipes and hiking in beautiful places.