Recently, deaf women in Guilford County have proved that the ability to hear--or lack thereof--means nothing when it comes to leading and inspiring both the local deaf and hearing communities.
Two women, Sharon Contreras and Jane Fernandes, have been chosen in recent years for leadership positions in Guilford County, and by coincidence, not only do both lead educational institutions, but both women are deaf. Their situations are different, but the idea is the same--that deaf people are fully capable of leading others to success and achieving just about anything.
Most recently--only 2 weeks ago--Guilford County Schools appointed Sharon Contreras, a lifelong educator and principal, as the school system's new superintendent. According to WFMY News 2, Contreras was chosen after a nationwide search for the position, and her inability to hear was deemed irrelevant as they found her to be the most eligible and passionate candidate for the job.
Contreras, who is hard of hearing, was not born deaf, but lost her hearing about 10 years ago. She has not let this stop her, and continues to thrive as a leader and educator despite the fact that she can no longer hear.
And Contreras is not the only one. Two years ago, Guilford College hired Jane Fernandes as the school's new president, and she has led the school ever since. According to the college's website, Fernandes is the first deaf woman to lead an American college or university, and has had many other leadership roles in various colleges across the country, including Gallaudet University, the only Deaf university in the world. Throughout her career, she has proven that her deafness does not hold her back from being a successful leader.
I won't pretend that these two women have had the same experience defeating the barriers that come with deafness in a hearing world. Contreras, who has lived most of her life as a hearing person, has only had to deal with the consequences of being deaf in the most recent years of her life. Because she did not grow up deaf, she was able to become successful without the societal restraints that come with being a deaf person. Losing her hearing later in life, she has only had to cope with the difficulties that come with deafness after having lived life with the ability to hear. Of course, that's not at all to invalidate her experiences, she has had to prove that losing her hearing would not affect her ability to do her job as a leader and thinker, and it is inspiring to see that after such a huge setback- as would be for anyone who has relied on the sense of sound their entire life--she continues to thrive in her career working with people.
Fernandes, on the other hand, has been deaf since birth and has dealt with the impact her whole life. She was able to establish a successful career despite living in a society rigged strongly toward hearing people, and because of her perseverance and resilience, has gracefully risen to the top. Thoughout her career, Fernandes has proven that, despite her deafness, she can be just as successful as any hearing person might be. She has defied the expectations set by a society grossly uninformed about the lives and abilities of deaf people.
Both of these women show our hearing society that deaf people should not be underestimated or marginalized, and that deafness is only one part of a person's whole being and does not define their ability to achieve success. Not only are they inspirations to the deaf community, they show us all that we can defy what the world expects of us and thrive despite whatever odds we have been given. Let these women be an example that, no matter what society tells us we can or can't do, we define our own lives and, with determination and hard work, can prove anyone's expectations of us wrong.
