Growing up, I would watch my grandfather interpret our church services. It always interested me to learn how to sign myself, so I found books on how to fingerspell. When I began high-school, they offered ASL as a language credit and I jumped at the opportunity to expand my knowledge. The more I learned about how American Sign Language began, how the Deaf struggled with those who looked down on them, and how they've grown so much in recent times, the more I fell in love with the language. It got to the point I asked my high-school teacher to teach me a third year of ASL. When I visited my college, I thought I would use ASL in an education major since I had an interest in incorporating ASL in an education setting. It wasn't until I visited the language department and met one of my current Deaf professors that I realized I could major in ASL as an Interpreter. I knew then and there, my heart lied with the dDeaf and the Deaf community. Even my parents could tell I had a greater desire to immerse myself in the community. My interest and compassion has continued to grow since going forward with a degree in Interpreting and although the work is only getting harder as I further my education, I am ready to take it on with a positive and exciting mindset. Having gone to the Deaf church, Deaf events, taken a Deaf studies class, and even volunteered at the New England Home for the Deaf has helped me see the good and the bad sides of both the Deaf and Hearing world. I want to be an ally for the Deaf community and help lift them up in whatever way I can. I want to make sure the dDeaf voice is heard. Even after hearing my interpreting professor's stories of rude hearing people not fully understanding what it means to be deaf has opened my eyes to how much discrimination there is between hearing and deaf individuals. It angers me how the dDeaf still are not given full accessibility even if their only difference is not being able to fully hear. I want to help and support those who are fighting against this problem today. This is truly my calling as a future Interpreter and I am so excited to see where I will be led whether I am up front and interpreting or if I am behind the scenes supporting those in the Deaf community.