Danika ASL trip to Gallaudet University

It’s so frustrating when you hear a question but didn’t understand what was said, right?!? Welcome to my daily life! Hi, I’m Danika González and I’ve spent my life questioning what I hear everyday. I have a hearing impairment, but I don’t let it limit my dreams and aspirations in life. It is a disability, and I’m not gonna lie, sometimes it is hard, but I have an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and even help me understand more! You can help me too! Let me tell you how. I am a junior at Bingham High School. I have used hearing aids since 2nd grade. I’ve learned how to navigate my world with the help of hearing aids. I played basketball from 6th-9th grades, was a cheerleader in 6th grade, I placed 2nd at nationals in Taekwando in 2018, and I have been on the honor roll every quarter since starting high school. I know I’m capable of doing many things. At first I didn’t consider myself as having a disability. I was young and didn’t think I was missing important information. I started to realize that sometimes I hear and think I understand, but I don’t. It is embarrassing when that happens, and it makes life hard at school, work, and just day-to-day life. My life changed dramatically when I found out that my hearing is getting worse little by little. That was a dark time for me and reality came with anxiety and depression. I decided I should look for different resources to help me understand daily information better which could impact my future. I chose to take American Sign Language (ASL) classes at Bingham high school, and this has helped me realize that there is a whole community out there for people like me! My school is planning a trip in April of this year to visit a university I didn’t even know existed. Gallaudet University in Washington DC is the only private university in the nation for deaf and hard of hearing students. I’m so excited to learn more about this school. I’ve been worried about what my future holds with my disability and knowing there is a university out there that understands what some of my limitations are, gives me so much hope. I don’t have to worry so much about not hearing my teachers or professors. They know how to cater to my disability, and I’m not the only one in class struggling to make sure I know when tests are, due dates are, and just hearing lectures. I’m working extra hours at work to cover costs, and would like to ask you to help me out. Every donation, big or small, it’s super appreciated! My goal is to raise $2000 by the first week of April. Thank you for your consideration and donation.