22
August
2019
|
09:01 AM
America/Chicago

Community service is its own special language for ASL student

Student of the Week: Jaime Moreno

Ever eager to enter the workforce, Jaime Moreno says South Texas College has helped develop his passion for service into a potential career assisting deaf students within the Valley’s public schools.

Highly active in local shelters, recreation centers and in his church, Jaime says it has always been his dream to assist school children.

He is currently studying to receive a Sign Language Interpreter Associate of Applied Science. The program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop and enhance their practical communication skills for careers in languages and cultural studies.

“The reason I joined the program was because I feel like it was a great opportunity for me to expand and grow in myself,” Jaime said. “I like to help people, whether it’s volunteering at my church or at my local rec center, there is always an opportunity to learn more and I like it.”

Student of the Week Jaime Moreno
“The reason I joined the program was because I feel like it was a great opportunity for me to expand and grow in myself. I like to help people, whether it’s volunteering at my church or at my local rec center, there is always an opportunity to learn more and I like it.”
Student of the Week Jaime Moreno

The American Sign Language and Interpreting Studies program at STC is the field of study focused on integrating language, culture and literature to help students gain an international perspective for living and working in today's global society.

Students are required to do 96 hours of volunteer service per semester to complete the course. They gain a bit of real world experience and use their skills to assist deaf people in a variety of settings, according to program faculty.

Jaime said he hopes to graduate by May 2020 and then find work assisting students within public schools.

“For students looking to enter this field, I would like to tell them that this is basically relearning the English language, but spoken in a different language. Not a lot of people know it, but a lot of people need it,” Jaime said. “It's beneficial because a lot of people really don't use it that much here in the valley, but there is a great need for it.”