My ASL Journey
Hello! My name is Janel and this is my ASL journey:
Many years ago, when I was in the Girl Scouts, I learned how to sign the “Pledge of Allegiance” in ASL. From that point forward, I was in complete awe of how beautiful ASL is and that feeling continues to this day. Years later, I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at Colorado State University studying English. English and ASL are completely different languages which inspired me to continue learning about ASL linguistics such as sentence structure, grammar, word order, and facial expressions and more about Deaf culture and community.​
When I moved to San Diego after college, I performed with an amazing “signing choir” called Love in Motion. We were a 20-member choir with performers of all ages that expressively performed songs in ASL led by an extraordinary director. Whereas vocal singing uses pitch and tone to convey expressions, our ASL choir showed these aspects through our hands, body, and facial expressions. Performance sign language is very different than educational or professional interpreting and being in that group was such a joyful experience for me!
Love in Motion
Sign Language Choir
After I moved back home to Colorado, I knew that I wanted to pursue ASL. I received my Associate of Applied Science Degree from Front Range Community College. I worked as an Education Interpreter for high school students and soon found a job at the Helen Keller National Center as the Rocky Mountain Regional Representative in Denver. That position allowed me to link Deaf Blind individuals and their families to all of the services that HKNC offers ─ consultation, advocacy, assessment, training, referrals and more.
My favorite part of the job was to provide “hand over hand” (known as tactile sign language) interpreting for my Deaf Blind supervisor. Tactile sign language is a method where he would place his hand over my signing hands so he could “read” signs through touch and movement.
Example of Tactile Sign Language
for Deaf Blind individuals
Most recently, I was thrilled to have the position as the ASL teacher at Fusion Academy in Louisville, CO, which is a private high school where classes one student and one teacher per classroom. I created seamless classes tailored for each student on signing and more importantly, about Deaf culture, history, and values. Below are three pieces of ASL art made by my students:
CONNECT
Inspired by Deaf Painter Nancy Rourke
FOLIAGE
3-D Art with Sign Language Letters
WHALE
Inspired by Deaf Artist Chuck Baird
The "Y" handshape is 3-D
Then, I launched Sign of Events!
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I believe communicating and understanding different languages and
cultures can connect people in ways they never expected.
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