My journey began when I was born premature at 27 weeks, weighing one pound and eleven ounces. As a result of life saving interventions, my parents believe a combination of these efforts and prematurity contributed to my hearing loss. As a baby, I bopped around to music all the time, but I wasn’t talking or using words.  I was diagnosed with bilateral profound hearing loss at 22 months old in audiology. My parents chose the Moog Center For Deaf Education  because they wanted to give me every opportunity for success. Unfortunately, it is hard enough for African Americans in this society. Being an African American woman with a disability is even more challenging so my parents chose the Moog Center to give me the gifts of speech and hearing (cochlear implant and hearing aid).

In my toddler days, I received occupational and physical therapy, and after finishing therapy at age three, I was encouraged to continue working on my gross motor skills. This led to my introduction to dance at age four as a way to support my physical development and over the years, I developed a passion for the performing arts.

My time at the Moog Center for Deaf Education laid the foundation for my transition into mainstream education by second grade. Over time, I grew from a quiet observer in my IEP meetings into a confident advocate, learning to articulate my needs for accommodations. As a student in the pre-professional dance program at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), my angel on earth and audiologist, Valerie and COCA’s sound technician connected my FM system directly to the theater’s sound system for performances. In fact, I later learned that the collaboration between Moog’s audiology and COCA’s tech led to the inclusion of FM cables in their new studios. My Moog Center community showed up for my performances at COCA from elementary all the way to my senior year of high school and that time I was cast as a dancer at the Muny. Core moments like these revealed the importance of accessibility as a performing artist and how profoundly a village can shape who you become.

I was extremely blessed to have speech therapists and itinerant teachers from elementary through high school who were proactive, thoughtful, and effective, especially pertaining to my accommodations. When looking back at the challenges I encountered throughout my education, I can only remember the obstacles that are typical for any kid growing up in my generation. Although concentrating and focusing intently just to access and process speech all day, then going straight to dance practice after school for four hours or more was challenging, my hearing loss was not an obstacle.

So, after high school, I auditioned and earned my BFA in 2024 in Contemporary Dance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee in Boston. During my time in college and after graduation, I’ve had the opportunity to audition, perform on different stages and learn valuable life lessons. One opportunity was performing for the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival and so I got to interact with deaf dancers from around the world but through my young adult eyes and this was impactful. They welcomed me into their culture, their community, the diversity of communication styles and lived experiences across the spectrum of deafness.

Cultivating meaningful relationships throughout my journey and learning about personal life stories has helped me recognize my potential to reach the highest level of professional dance. It’s a full-circle moment, as the Moog Center for Deaf Education has been a part of my story and I remain proud to stay connected with them. My journey reflects what is possible.