it's my second language

This picture is very important to me.

These four people became some of my very best friends, I found a new hobby, I learned about myself, and I found a career choice all because of one thing: American Sign Language.

In 9th grade, I found out I could take American Sign Language as my foreign language credit in high school. I had just been in a Deaf/Hearing play called, "The Sideways Stories of Wayside School" that was playing during the Deaf Olympics, and had learned a little bit of Sign Language. I wanted to know more. So, I registered for the class, and on the first day of my sophomore year, I stepped into Jody Lynn Tolley's Sign 1 class. 

That class was my favorite class (besides Highlites, of course). I loved learning the alphabet, counting, colors, animals, the grammar, structure, how to interpret...EVERYTHING! There was so much I wanted--no--needed to know! I absorbed everything I learned. I couldn't get enough!!

I need to take time out and talk about a lady who made Sign Language amazing. 

JODY LYNN TOLLEY.

She is about 5'2", wears glasses, is heard-of-hearing, has to sit on a big, tall chair on top of a platform in order to get everyone to see her. She NEVER missed a day of teaching (even when she almost passed out), she has two of the most adorable children in the world, she can't hear ANYTHING, she honestly cares about her students, and she gives 100% of herself to Sign Language and the Deaf community. 

Anyway, my first year of ASL concluded with a 95% on the CIL exam, and even more excitement for ASL 2. My junior year, I had Mrs. Tolley again for ASL, and that year, the class was significantly smaller. We had narrowed down the wannabes and found "the real deal". In Sign Two, our class became more like a family. Some people who had had the OTHER sign language teacher transferred into Tolley's and they were LOST. Luckily, they found Tolley in time. We all LOVED Tolley and loved her class. Sign-A-Song, singing story books, creating houses, and making videos...ohhh the life in Sign 2. 

Then, the dark ages. Aka Sign 3. Tolley is only a part-time teacher, and so she couldn't be at the school enough to teach sign three. We were devastated. We had to go to the...OTHER teacher. However, the shining beacon in Sign 3 was our "Sign Family". This Sign Family consisted of: Sarah Esplin, Me, Julie Nelson, Haley Rasmussen, Benson Adams, and Ann Alleman. Yes, there were other people in the class, but we were the "IT" crew. I love those people so much. We talked, laughed, grumbled, complained and scoffed together every other day for a year. I wouldn't have been able to survive that horrible teaching period without them. 

Now, I am in college. I am majoring in Deaf Education. I am in Sign 2, and I love it! It's hard and scary, but I know with the things Tolley and my friends taught me, I'll be just fine!