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</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/91775829_1778787769238461_r.png" width="100%" />
<div>My name is Atilla. I am Deaf. For more than 15 years I have stood in front of classrooms in Vienna, teaching Austrian Sign Language. I love this work. But one question never let me go: what else is out there? Other countries. Other people. Other ways the world works.
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<div>In 2024 I met a student from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. It is the only university in the world where every single class is taught in sign language. No interpreter beside me. No detour through someone else's voice. For the first time in my life, I would not be translated at a university. I would be understood.
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<div>I had to know what that feels like. So I applied. And I got in.
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<div>I will study Business Administration. Not just so I can teach in projects for the Deaf community, but so I can build them. And lead them.
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<div>Then, in March 2025, my father died. Suddenly. Without warning. His death taught me the hardest lesson of my life: waiting is a luxury nobody promises you. Life gives no second guarantee. So I am going now.
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<div><strong>But I cannot do this alone.</strong>
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<div>As an international student I receive no public funding. Not from Austria. Not from the United States. And without written proof that my first year is fully financed, the U.S. will not give me a visa. No money means no visa. No visa means no Gallaudet.
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<div><strong>Where your money goes, Year 1 (from Gallaudet's official financing plan):</strong>
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<div>Tuition &amp; fees: $39,046
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<div>Housing &amp; meals in Washington D.C.: $16,600
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<div>Health insurance &amp; other required costs: $4,400
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<div>Books &amp; supplies: $1,760
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<div>Transport in Washington D.C.: $1,760
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<div><strong>Total: $63,566 (≈ €56,000)</strong>
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<div>Gallaudet put it in writing for me. Next to every line for financial aid stands the same number: $0. As an international student I am not eligible for U.S. scholarships, grants or loans. Every cent has to come from me. And from people like you.
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<div>And here is the part that means the most to me: I am not leaving to leave. I am coming back. Everything I learn in Washington comes home with me, to the Deaf community in Austria. Your donation does not end with me. It reaches every single person I teach afterward.
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<div>Every donation counts, no matter how small. Even €10 brings me one day closer. And if you cannot give right now: share this page. One shared link can reach the one person who changes everything.
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<div>Thank you for reading this far. It means more than you know.
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<div>———
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<div><strong>Deutsche Version</strong>
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<div>Ich bin Atilla. Ich bin gehörlos. Seit über 15 Jahren stehe ich in Wien vor Menschen und unterrichte Österreichische Gebärdensprache. Ich liebe diese Arbeit. Aber eine Frage hat mich nie losgelassen: Was ist da draußen noch? Andere Länder. Andere Menschen. Andere Wege, wie die Welt funktioniert.
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<div>2024 traf ich in Wien eine Studentin der Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. Es ist die einzige Universität der Welt, an der jede einzelne Vorlesung in Gebärdensprache stattfindet. Kein Dolmetscher neben mir. Kein Umweg über die Stimme eines anderen. Zum ersten Mal in meinem Leben würde ich an einer Universität nicht übersetzt. Ich würde verstanden.
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<div>Ich musste wissen, wie sich das anfühlt. Also habe ich mich beworben. Und ich wurde aufgenommen.
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<div>Ich werde dort Business Administration studieren. Nicht nur, damit ich für die gehörlose Community unterrichten kann. Sondern damit ich eigene Projekte aufbauen und leiten kann.
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<div>Dann, im März 2025, starb mein Vater. Plötzlich. Ohne Vorwarnung. Sein Tod hat mich die härteste Lektion meines Lebens gelehrt: Warten ist ein Luxus, den dir niemand verspricht. Das Leben gibt keine zweite Garantie. Also gehe ich jetzt.
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<div><strong>Aber alleine schaffe ich es nicht.</strong>
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<div>Als internationaler Student bekomme ich keinen Cent staatliche Förderung. Nicht aus Österreich. Nicht aus den USA. Und ohne den schriftlichen Nachweis, dass mein erstes Jahr vollständig finanziert ist, bekomme ich kein Visum. Kein Geld heißt kein Visum. Kein Visum heißt kein Gallaudet.
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<div><strong>Wofür dein Geld geht, Jahr 1 (laut Gallaudets offiziellem Finanzierungsplan):</strong>
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<div>Studiengebühren: €34.400
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<div>Wohnen &amp; Verpflegung in Washington D.C.: €14.600
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<div>Krankenversicherung &amp; sonstige Pflichtkosten: €3.900
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<div>Bücher &amp; Materialien: €1.550
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<div>Transport in Washington D.C.: €1.550
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<div><strong>Gesamt: €56.000</strong>
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<div>Gallaudet hat mir alle Kosten schriftlich aufgeschlüsselt. Neben jeder Zeile für Förderung steht dieselbe Zahl: $0. Als internationaler Student habe ich keinen Anspruch auf US-Stipendien, Grants oder Kredite. Jeden Cent muss ich selbst aufbringen. Mit Menschen wie dir.
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<div>Und das ist der Teil, der mir am meisten bedeutet: Ich gehe nicht weg, um wegzugehen. Ich komme zurück. Alles, was ich in Washington lerne, bringe ich heim zur gehörlosen Community in Österreich. Deine Spende endet nicht bei mir. Sie erreicht jeden einzelnen Menschen, den ich danach unterrichte.
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<div>Jede Spende zählt, egal wie klein. Schon €10 bringen mich einen Tag näher ans Ziel. Und wenn du gerade nicht spenden kannst: Teile diese Seite. Ein geteilter Link kann genau den einen Menschen erreichen, der alles verändert.
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<div>Danke, dass du bis hierher gelesen hast. Das bedeutet mir mehr, als du ahnst.
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<div>@atillagum | gallaudet.atillagum.com
</div>

Anonymous

Martin August Fuchsberger

Magazin, die ganze Woche

Amna Ali Rasul

Ursula Ecker

Judith Stelzhammer

Sabina Kraler

Daniel Wagner

From Vienna to Gallaudet: A Deaf Teacher's Next Step

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platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

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NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

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US + Non-charity COs Only

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fund country is US and user language is English

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Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

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3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

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Money Box Donation List Prompt Experiment Audience

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

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fallback mode accounts

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p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

Eligible for Profile Share Badge

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UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

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braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

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categoryGroup

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Native 11.3.0 and above

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

NPO upsell animals category

NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

From Vienna to Gallaudet: A Deaf Teacher's Next Step

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