Photo by Jacob Dukes
Recognized for their ASL teaching program at Brook Hollow Library, ASL Honors Society received the Superintendent’s Award Tue. Dec. 9 at the NEISD Community Education building. Students and Mr. Timothy Kitterman were welcomed with a reception and certificates for all members.
“To me, this award means that ASL Honors Society has been one of the most active clubs at MacArthur and that it shows that we’ve been really working hard and making a difference in the hearing and deaf community,” President senior Vlad Chalenko said. “ASL Honors Society has been a great way to use my language in more than just conversations with people but teaching people and communicating with deaf people and interacting with that community and culture.”
Photo by Jacob Dukes
Anyone can nominate any person or group for this award, and, after a long selection process, the Honors Society was chosen as part of a distinct, prestigious group. The organization was one of many honored at the reception on Tuesday.
“A Superintendent’s Award is a really great honor,” NEISD Executive Director of Communications Aubrey Chancellor said. “It really is a great honor for anyone who receives a Superintendent’s Award because the superintendent is here himself, you get a picture with him, and, of course, a certificate of appreciation.”
The students were honored for their work each Sunday with teaching American Sign Language to the community. The sessions average 35 people per week.
“[The award] will give us more recognition within the school as something to be desired to join,” Chalenko said. “Now, students starting [ASL] will know that this is something they can work towards and something they might want to achieve.”
Mr. Kitterman believes the award is just an incentive for all of the hard work the students put in, and not the main focus of the program. In fact, he did not even know about the Superintendent’s Award until notified of their nomination.
“They don’t just show up, they do the work,” Mr. Kitterman said. “Just seeing them do what they do and being successful at the library, that’s the big reward.”
Photo by Jacob Dukes
