With Thanksgiving coming soon, Samantha Ramos showed her peers how to communicate with deaf people during a feast by using their hands.
The Hobbton High School senior believes sign language is beautiful and it’s something she’s now sharing with others.
“I want to tell all hearing people don’t hesitate to try to talk to a deaf person, even if you don’t know sign language,” Ramos said through an interpreter. “Just go ahead and try to approach them with any sign language that you know or just a smile. Help them feel more included in the community.”
She recently started the first American Sign Language (ASL) Club for the school. Before the Thanksgiving lesson, which included a review of the alphabet, the students also went over vocabulary sentences from previous sessions. For Ramos, the main goal is to help students learn sign language so they can communicate with deaf people in the future.
Kenly Montes, a senior, said she always wanted to learn sign language and the new club provides the perfect opportunity.
“I think it’s an amazing idea that she started a club like this,” Montes said.
She believes the ASL club will help in the future if she meets another deaf person.
“With any other language, when you know a little bit and although you’re not fluent, it will always help.”
It started a month ago after people asked her about learning sign language. She received assistance from Media Specialist and Yearbook adviser Carla Sutton. The idea came after Ramos was interviewed for the school’s publication.
“At first, I didn’t want to, but then I realized that many of the people here were really willing to learn my language and they wanted to communicate with me,” Ramos said.
Ramos was born deaf, a hereditary condition in her family. Her parents, Ricardo Ramos and Irma Cano are deaf too. A few other members of her family are deaf too. She began using sign language just as a hearing person acquires spoken language after birth.
“We go out and we’re citing to each other and people often look at us with a confused expression,” she said. “That’s a challenge and we notice that.”
At school, Ramos works with Michal Stalnaker, an interpreter, to have access to classes and everything that’s happening in school. Outside the walls of Hobbton High, the challenge is greater. When she visits a doctor, go to the store, or a restaurant, Ramos needs a paper and pen to write down her requests. Sometimes she uses her phone to communicate.
Julie Aburto, a junior, became friends with Ramos at Hobbton Middle School, said it’ exciting to see her share sign language with other people.
“She’s been my best friend since sixth grade,” Aburto said. “She can read people’s lips and get by anything, unless she needs people like me to interpret for her.”
After graduating from Hobbton, Ramos would like to become a pastry chef and open up her business. Some of her favorite sweets are sweets are cupcakes, cookies, and croissants.
“I want to learn it all — anything that has to do with the baking side of a restaurant,” Ramos said while talking about her future plans. “I want to learn how to decorate the frosting and all of that.”
Sutton said Ramos work blossomed with classes being taught three times for one day, with more than 15 students in each session.
“It keeps growing, so I’m very proud of her,” Sutton said. “She has done an excellent job.”
