Students
Deris
Age: 11 years
Student since: 2020
Deris is a high energy little guy who refuses to be left behind by his larger peers. He is very intelligent and is working hard to catch up to the other students his age in school, as he got a later start than most. He enjoys playing UNO, Connect 4 and Rush Hour and employs a clever strategy at whatever game he plays. He is also very active and keeps up with the older boys at anything from running the weed-eater to playing Frisbee Football.
Gabriela
Age: 10 years
Student since: 2019
Everyone is quite fond of Gabi, her bubbly personality wins her many friends. She is almost always happy and enthusiastic no matter the game or activity. She has a sweet, trusting personality and seldom causes any trouble. Her often hilarious lunchtime stories are a delight to us all. When she’s not in school, Gabi helps her family with their small fruit/vegetable market they have in town.
Antony
Age: 11 years
Student since: 2015
You’ll hardly find a friendlier human being than Antony! He’s always smiling and usually has a funny story to tell, complete with many details and hilarious expressions. Antony is so expressive that even non-signers don’t have too much trouble communicating with him. Unlike many of the deaf children, Antony is not shy and doesn’t mind talking to strangers, whether they can sign or not. Although he is very intelligent and quite “street smart”, he does struggle to pay attention in school sometimes. Math facts are so boring when there are so many stories to tell and people to talk too! More about Antony…
Jairo
Age: 13 years
Student since: 2013
Jairo is the opposite of Antony. Quite and shy, he generally prefers the background to the spotlight. He can be very un-expressive when he signs and sometimes we have to remind him that facial expressions are part of ASL. He is usually cheerful and when he finds something funny, his wide smile splits his entire face. More about Jairo…
Miguel
Age: 13 years
Student since: 2013
Miguel brings enough energy for both him and Jairo! Very active and with a short attention span, Miguel excels at games like Frisbee Football or Soccer and is a hard worker. It is hard for him to sit in a classroom and study but give him a machete or a hoe and he can accomplish quite a lot. He loves fixing things and evenings after supper is often working on some project out in the shop.
Paola
Age: 17 years
Student since: 2010
Paola is the oldest of the students and by far the most mature. Sometimes she seems more like one of the staff then one of the students. Sincere and thoughtful, she never causes any trouble and is always respectful of her teachers. Paola loves to learn and when she encounters words she doesn’t know, she carefully writes them down in her notebook and asks her teachers what they mean. This will be her last year in school but perhaps she can come back in the future as staff or teacher. More about Paola…