Jon’a Devalt
A language barrier left a deaf female student feeling isolated at Waite High School. Jon’a Devalt decided he didn’t want any of his fellow students to feel left out and it sparked his interest in understanding American Sign Language.
“That moment changed my life. It inspired me to study American Sign Language and made me want to break down any communication barriers I could,” said Devalt, who went on to become the president of the American Sign Language club at Waite High School. From that day, he knew he wanted to become an interpreter and translator.
Devalt originally planned to attend Owens Community College for prerequisites prior to transferring to another institution for his ASL degree. Now, due to Owens offering the American Sign Language Certificate, he will stay at one college and continue his passion for communication. “This certificate will help me be able to get closer to my career goals and help me stay in my community,” added Devalt.
In the two-semester certificate program, students will learn fingerspelling, numbers, receptive skills and about deaf culture. With these skills, students will have a solid foundation to work with individuals who are deaf, hearing impaired or have a delay or cognitive disability where expressive and/or receptive language is limited. This certificate can stand alone or be added to other degree fields in health care, education or business to increase a student’s post-graduate employment options.
Upon completion of the certificate, students will be prepared to pursue a degree as an American Sign Language interpreter. ASL Interpreters will be needed, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting growth at 24 percent by 2030; 8 percent is the average for job growth.
Owens is one of the only higher education institutions in northwest Ohio to offer a certificate or degree in American Sign Language. Humanities Program Director Jen Hazel said the College has been looking at adding the certificate since Fall 2020 and is happy to serve the community needs. “Think about it. If an individual knows American Sign Language in healthcare, they can better connect and understand a deaf patient; in education, they can communicate with a child with a language delay; or as a firefighter or police officer, direct a person in an accident who is deaf+ to safety,” said Hazel.
Devalt said becoming bilingual gives you a personal look at what life is like for others.
“It gives you a unique life experience,” he said, adding that confidence is paramount when it comes to American Sign Language. “You need confidence to be an interpreter and you need confidence to be responsible for the information and message you receive,” Devalt said when thinking about his future.
“No one should feel left out. If people don’t know how to communicate with each other, they will continue to feel isolated,” Devalt said, adding “Owens really answered the call for the need for American Sign Language in our area. When you say bilingual, people think of spoken languages, but there are so many people nationwide and in our area that use American Sign Language.”
He has high hopes for future generations of American Sign Language interpreters throughout northwest Ohio, saying, “I’ve gone back to Waite High School and talked to students in the American Sign Language club and told them about what Owens has to offer and the students are very excited about being able to pursue their passion and goals of being interpreters right in their own backyard.”
For information about ASL at Owens, visit owens.edu.
Learn more about the American Sign Language (ASL) Certificate >>
Published December 2022