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Hi everyone, my name is Christine Aiken. I'm Deaf and I'm 19. Growing up Deaf isn't always
easy because I haven't accepted myself being Deaf for 14 years. It's hard for a Deaf teenager
to fit in because no hearing teenagers are happy to have Deaf friends these days lately
because they would feel embarrassed to have Deaf friends. Yes I know sign language but
also I can talk, most people think deaf people can't talk and that makes it hard to meet
new people. The truth is that many Deaf teenagers are
willing to go to school to make new friends because most of them don't have friends near
where they live. The issue is that people are always worrying what other people think
that what affects me to worry about what other people think about my Deafness. I don't want
to be treated differently.For example, I'm very athletic back in high school coaches
would always think Deaf people can't play or be good at sports. Growing up athletic,
I always proved everyone wrong because being Deaf doesn't have to do anything with your
skills at sports. I would work hard all year long to make the basketball team but this
one coach wouldn't let me on the team. Two girls didn't successfully do the three day
try-outs, I was the only one who didn't make the team because I was Deaf. However, I still
play basketball for my local basketball team that I been playing for my whole life. I mostly
average around 16 points. My goal is to play basketball for Gallaudet which is a Deaf college
in Washington D.C. It is always a struggle to try to prove people wrong because I know
what I'm capable of. However, it also a struggle to be playing basketball because sometimes
to many noises can interfere what are the coaches trying to say to me on the basketball
court, at the same time I have to be paranoid about my cochlear implant because it can fall
off the cause of that it can get damaged. Deaf people have to go everyday basic to just
live their life and to prove people wrong. Disabilities may always be a struggle but
it doesn't stop people to overcome their struggles to make their dreams come true. Disabilities
would never hold people back to get what they want. The best feeling ever in the whole world
with disabilities is proving people wrong and to show you are capable of doing anything
no matter what. I'm currently at OCC and just finished my first year of college with a 3.4
GPA. Throughout my life so far, I'm still standing here fighting every struggle every
day and still proud to be Deaf, if I can do it you can too!!!