Elyse Rolino volunteered in Costa Rica in 2008 as an assistant teacher at a local deaf school, which was an amazing experience for her, and changed her life. She is Deaf, and communicates through American Sign Language as well as written English, so CCS found a local interpreter to assist with communications with fellow volunteers and CCS. However, at her volunteer placement she learned Costa Rican sign language, LESCO, to communicate with the children and staff at the school. While in Costa Rica, Elyse found opportunities to socialize with other Deaf adults, and learned a lot about how Deaf people live and the challenges they face.
She is a student at Gallaudet University, the leading college for deaf and hard of hearing students, where she initially was going to study education. However, after her CCS program, she switched her major to International Government because she wants to become an advocate for deaf people worldwide.
For the benefit of the Deaf community, we also share her story through American Sign Language.
