Like any other college student, I had language requirements that I had to fill. So, I figured I'd take Spanish. I took it in high school, so why not just continue to learn the language? Then, I get to my university.

We've always known Deaf people exist, but how often do we really think about them and how their lives are extremely different and more challenging than our own? Have you ever thought about how if you, a hearing person not knowing any way to communicate with a Deaf individual, would react in a situation where you might need to? ASL is one of the last things people think of when you are taking your language classes at school. There's Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and so on, but what about the language that is highly looked over? I came to university never really thinking much about the Deaf community, coming to find out, these people are everywhere. And, they're some of the nicest people I've had the pleasure of meeting.

Taking ASL is just as important as knowing some Spanish or any other language you might need throughout your life. We should all be able to communicate in some way, shape, or form with each other. So think about all of your options when you're registering for a class just to fill a credit.

We all deserve to be recognized.