DK
David Kelley
  • Class of 2015
  • Dorchestor Center

David Kelley Attends National Career Exploration Camp

2013 Aug 19

Area high school students are back home after participating in a national career exploration camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Rochester Institute of Technology. Nearly 200 students from as far away as California attended.

David Kelley of Dorchestor Center, Mass., who will be a junior this fall at Horace Mann School Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in Allston, Mass., participated in Explore Your Future, a six-day career exploration camp at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf on the RIT campus in Rochester, N.Y. In its 28th year, campers got a taste of possible careers in computer art design, business, healthcare, laboratory science, computing, engineering, even participating in a "CSI robbery investigation."

Explore Your Future not only helped the students and their parents decide what majors and careers may best interest them, the experience also allows many to meet others their ages who have similar backgrounds. Many deaf and hard-of-hearing students may be the only or one of a few deaf students in their school. Evening activities included visiting an amusement park, bowling, and a dance.

Matt Langevin, from Biddeford, Maine, said he experienced a bit of a culture shock being somewhere were so many others were deaf or hard of hearing.

"I liked the experience, to be in that environment," he said.

Many of the students use sign language to communicate. Others, like Langevin, didn't. But the diversity in communication didn't stop him from making many new friends he'll be in contact with.

Monica Toun drove from Worcester, Mass., to Rochester with her family to enjoy EYF.

"It was a fantastic experience," she said. "I can't even describe how fantastic the experience was."

After taking aptitude tests at EYF, Toun confirmed she's a creative person, who may seek a career in social work or photography and art. Her favorite part of EYF: "Meeting people from all over the country."

RIT is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, sustainability and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. RIT enrolls 17,000 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

NTID, one of nine colleges of RIT, was established by Congress in 1965 to provide college opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who were underemployed in technical fields. This past year, 1,529 students attended RIT/NTID; more than 1,350 were deaf or hard of hearing. Others were hearing students enrolled in interpreting or deaf education programs. NTID's Center on Employment assists NTID students with finding co-op and permanent jobs. NTID has consistently placed 90% of its graduates. Hundreds of interpreters, classroom captionists, tutors, and notetakers support students in and out of the classroom. Visit: www.rit.edu/NTID.