Meet Harry.
He lives at the Brookdale Retirement Center.
He’s deaf and can’t speak.
Harry is at the center of MacArthur High School American Sign Language (ASL) students’ “Story of the Year.”
Our ASL students do a lot of community service. In an effort to hone their craft, they often do Christmas shows at retirement homes and offer sign language classes to various groups.
This year, one of those groups was the Brookdale Retirement Center. Harry couldn’t communicate with anyone and the staff wanted to change that. So, they called our students for help.
Four of our students spent weeks teaching staff and other residents basic phrases and ABCs in ASL. By the third week, a few residents and a supervisor at the facility were able to really communicate with Harry for the first time. It was obvious Harry was enjoying it all.
“I can’t emphasize enough how difficult the challenge was and how well the students were doing,” said ASL Teacher Tim Kitterman. “They were patient and caring all the time with smiles on their faces. Seniors Victoria Medrano and Grace Robinson showed how experienced they’ve become. Their siblings, Zabella Medrano and Xavier Robinson also have done a fantastic job following in their older sisters’ footsteps.”
These dedicated students helped a community connect—and they gave Harry his voice back.
If you have questions, feel free to email ASL teacher Tim Kitterman.
Our students also offer classes to the public at the Brook Hollow Library. You can check to see when classes are by checking the Brook Hollow Library online events calendar.
