Shenandoah Clarke has some pretty big goals for her life.
“A few years ago I decided I’m going to be a doctor,” she said.
The Oak View 7th grader has dreams of helping everyone.
“I started thinking I might have deaf patients,” Clarke shared. “If I’m not that great in sign language, I’m not going to be able to talk to them and have fluid conversations.”
Shenandoah knew what she needed to do next. Oak View was offering Sign Language Club for the very first time and she was one of the first to sign up. Sign Language Club is led by Oak View’s ASL Interpreter Anna Anderson.
“It warms my heart that there are so many kids out there who put in the time outside of school hours to learn a new language,” says Anderson. “It’s a skill they can keep for the rest of their lives.”
The most recent project for Oak View’s Sign Language Club is the Pledge of Allegiance. The group is continually looking for ways to share their learning with the entire school.
“We’ve been learning to say things like how are you and to spell the alphabet,” adds 7th grade student Brynna Hall. “We are asking people what their names are and how to greet them.”
It’s a pretty powerful experience to watch a Sign Language Club session. These students want to ensure that ALL of their classmates feel welcomed and included in everything they do.
“I’m so proud of all the kids that have decided to come join us,” adds Anderson. “I’m so grateful that Oak View gives us the opportunity to run these clubs and gives kids time to explore their interests and learn new skills.”
Shenandoah spent this meeting teaching the Pledge of Allegiance to the club. It’s part of her bigger plan. Shenandoah is ready to make a difference, everywhere she goes.
“If someone happens to be deaf and I meet them on the street and I can see they are having a hard time talking with someone, I can interpret that for them,” she says.