From the minute I stepped into Ann Carroll's School of Dance, I knew I was a dancer. My parents knew, my teachers knew, everyone knew I was meant to dance. When I was twelve, I watched one of the older dancers graduate and get into Oklahoma City University. From then on, I dreamed of going there. So, my senior year I went and auditioned and got in. The way I am now, the person I am and the way I communicate, all come from my life in dance. I learned how to read lips forwards, backwards, sideways, upside down and into the mirror because of being in dance studios. I learned to listen to the beat and rythym of the music because I was not able to understand words. I also learned how to become stubborn, unfortunately, and never give up. The minute someone told me I couldn't achieve something because of my disability, I refused to hear it and was determined to prove them wrong.
Unfortunately, OCU ended up not being the place I was meant to be in. God showed me that it was time to move on somewhere else. Because I was part of a sorority, Alpha Phi, it was a very hard decision for me to make. My purpose for the decision has not been shown yet, but I ended up back home in Nashville, and I am now at Middle Tennessee State University. Right off the bat, I had formed my own group of friends and immediately felt like this was where I belonged. I am on the Middle Tennessee Lightning Dance Team and I also am taking a jazz and modern class. I am looking to major in Interior Design, but I will not start those classes till next semester.
My way of life has changed, but I feel I have grown stronger in my ability to communicate, and take care of myself. It's those little things that count, like in band practice, the band director talks through a microphone from the top of the stadium. Naturally, I can't understand a word he is saying, but I learned how to watch around me, and talk to my teammates to know what was going on. I am so happy to be around friends who understand my situation, and are able to help me out when I need it. I also have found other things to rely on, like text messaging on my cell phone, and the CART program for my biology and math class.
I am back in an enviornment where I feel like my passion for dance is slowly returning, and I still feel a desire to be a professional dancer when I graduate. It's just that now, I would prefer to have a solid career to fall back on. But I give so much credit to The Ear Foundation for even giving me the opportunity to attend OCU last year. It was a most memorable experience that I could never forget, and I will never regret taking that chance.
About Guest Author Erin Spencer:
In 2005, Erin Spencer became a Minnie Pearl Scholarship recipient. While born profoundly deaf, she was a determined young woman who was described as extremely reliable and self-reliant as well as passionate and hard working by her peers and teachers. With a lifetime of mainstreaming, she had maintained a spot on the honor roll as well as remained active in school programs such as theater, the yearbook and the dance troupe. When the time came to make a decision about her area of study, there was no question in her mind that dancing would be her focus. Her passion for dance was assisted by the Minnie Pearl Scholarship when she was accepted to the prestigious dance program at Oklahoma City University where she studied successfully for her freshman year. Now Erin brings those skills closer to home at Middle Tennessee State University where she continues her training on the Lightning Dance Team while maintaining her 3.8 GPA.
Technorati tags: Deaf, College, Dance, Life, Determination