Four Ocean City High School seniors studying American Sign Language (ASL) are volunteering at a local day care center and helping a 15-month-old Ocean City girl learn to converse.
Madalyn Rogalsky is profoundly deaf and since nobody at the Children’s Place of Music and Learning is trained in sign language, the young girl had spent her days without being able to communicate. Kylie Olson, Ashlyn Petro, Hallie DuBruille and Alexis Riddiough starting volunteering weekly on Feb. 26 and will continue through the spring.
“This is such nice collaboration and I would like to see it continue,” said Kerry Alejandrino, director at The Children’s Place.
The unique program benefits the students, the day care and the young deaf child. It is just one of the many successful parts of the American Sign Language curriculum created by teacher Amy Andersen at Ocean City High School. Andersen started the ASL program at OCHS in 2005 and since then it has grown to include more than 130 students. Inspired by Andersen, many students have gone on to pursue college degrees and careers in ASL.
Olson and Petro have been accepted to Bloomsburg University’s competitive ASL interpreting program. DuBruille was recently accepted into The College of New Jersey’s deaf education program, and Riddiough has been accepted to Kean University and will minor in deaf studies.
Andersen has been providing early intervention teaching services to Rogalsky as her family learns to sign, but she said the young girl needed continuity at day care. Madi’s mom, Laura, is a graduate of Ocean City High School.
“Madi was so happy today to be able to communicate and have so many people signing with her,” Andersen said after the first day the students volunteered. “It’s such a blessing for all involved.”
“ASL has the tendency to become a ‘classroom’ language, but involving ourselves with the deaf community really opens us up to the culture and language as a whole, Petro said. “Working with Madi has been a wonderful way to see ASL up close — in its very beginnings.”
“It’s so exciting to be able to work with such a wonderful and intelligent child,” Olson said. “It feels amazing to be able to give her the opportunity to learn and grow. Madi is truly an inspiration.”
