Symansky instructs his class through a visual approach, which consists of acting out lessons or drawing.
Photo by Anya Ivantseva
Ron Symansky discovered his passion through his impairment.
Symansky was born prelingually deaf. His English is incoherent and his inability to read lips has made life a tumultuous journey.
“I ended up becoming deaf because of a recessive gene,” said Symansky. “People will ask me, ‘Can I read lips?’ That’s not something I can do very well. I prefer to write.”
Before becoming a high school instructor, Symansky experienced rejection from various careers.
“There were some jobs that did turn me down as a result of my hearing loss — so, for example, working in landscaping. I was told no because of communication.”
However, Symansky landed a job as a high school teacher, eventually guiding him to a highly regarded position as a sign language instructor at the college.
Sixteen years later, he continues to inspire students through sign.
Kelly Claussen, student, said, “[Symansky] is a great teacher and I’m learning a lot … thinking about doing a minor in sign language.”
Since Symansky doesn’t instruct through spoken word, he uses a visual approach to interact with his pupils.
“[T]o be able to communicate with my students, it’s much easier to visualize the language and see the signs, gestures — that type of thing,” said Symansky. “Sometimes I’ll draw pictures or I might have to act things out.”
Throughout his period of instructing, Symansky has gained plenty of fond memories.
“The interpreting program really has a wonderful team. I have a great team of colleagues that I work with and we’ve made a lot of changes and improvements over the years.”
For the most part, it’s the students that inspire Symansky to continue instructing.
“As far as the students are concerned, it really gives me a sense of pride when they come back to me afterwards and say thank you … that I was able to be a part of their success.”
For a deeper look into the ASL/English Interpreter Preparation program, visit the college’s website.
For a visual profile, click the following youtube link >>>