“I didn’t really realize the weight of growing up with deaf parents…then I realized that I was part of another world basically outside of hearing culture,” says sophomore Nadine Gioe, who grew up with a deaf mother. Her father is also deaf, but he has been absent, not playing a role in shaping her into the young woman she is becoming.  Nadine was homeschooled from 1st to 8th grade and rarely experienced the hearing world. Part of hearing culture or not, she loves her family and wouldn’t want anything else.

Being a part of something that would be considered a disadvantage for most has never been a problem for Nadine. “I have never wished to have hearing parents despite all the pros and cons that come with the experience of deaf parents. I wouldn’t wish for anything else. It’s especially hard to imagine given I’ve never experienced having hearing parents and I never will. I’m grateful to have a mother and a roof over my head period, regardless of her ability to hear, financial status, or the missing presence of my father. I’m very grateful for all that I have and will continue to work towards achieving more.”

Despite growing up with a non-hearing parent, Nadine excelled at reading and writing through her online studies and is now an honors student at Sahuaro. She is also currently involved in Pharmacy, Black Student Union, Cheer (and its booster club), Student Council, and Boy Scouts of America. Nadine believes in a world where students are involved in school and take pride in their education. It might be because she was homeschooled for most of her life and didn’t have the opportunity to get involved with clubs or other resources, but now she has a place to explore her creativity. She even wants to create an American Sign Language Club at Sahuaro, bringing elements of the life she has been fully immersed in onto campus.

In 2019, Boy Scouts of America started to let girls into their program and Nadine immediately signed up. Since she had been in Girl Scouts since she was very young, Nadine knew what to expect and wasn’t intimidated at all going into the program. She currently holds the position of a scribe – someone who writes down all meeting notes and attendance. She used to have the job as assistant senior patrol leader, which is essentially vice president of the troop. Since her schedule got fuller, she had to drop this position for the sake of her education. She is now on her way to earning her Eagle Scout Rank – the highest rank one can receive before exiting Boy Scouts. 

Nadine is an outstanding student and makes a great impression on people everywhere she goes. She doesn’t let the position of growing up with deaf parents weigh her down, and the world can’t wait to see what she may become.