Interview with Rachel Mazique, NAD Miss Deaf America Ambassador

NAD: Where are you from? What was it like where you grew up?
Rachel Mazique: I am from a suburb of Chicago - Arlington Heights, IL. Growing up in the suburbs provided for a quiet neighborhood life, but I had a great education. My parents specifically chose the area because it is three minutes from John Hersey High School, a high school [which has] a good deaf program (mainstreamed with hearing students). It is also the alma mater of the deaf actress and writer, Marlee Matlin!

NAD: What are your family members like? Describe your relationships with them.
RM: I come from a deaf and hearing family, but I am part of the third generation of a traceable Deaf lineage. I love my family, and I am close with everyone in unique ways. Something interesting about my family is our diversity, which has made me who I am today. My deaf grandfather is Mexican-American and he married my deaf grandmother who has Polish heritage. On my father's side, my grandmother is Irish-American and my grandfather, African-American.

NAD: When did your parents discover that you were deaf? What did they do when they found out?
RM: It's possible that I was born with a mild hearing loss, but it was not "discovered" until I was about five years old. My parents took the "discovery" in stride. At the time, it was still pretty mild. As audiologists realized that I had a progressive hearing loss, my parents just had to remind themselves that their daughter, who could once interpret for them - now needed an interpreter herself.

NAD: What is your preferred method of communication?
RM: I love sign languages. I communicate primarily in American Sign Language (ASL), but I also love to practice what I know of the Lengua de Senas Espanol (LSE), or Spanish sign language - as well as British Sign Language (BSL). Of course, I also write in English to communicate. And, as a Ph.D. English literature student - English has a prominent place in my life.

NAD: What are your hobbies and interests?
RM: I love running, hiking, swimming, dancing, performing, camping, and weight lifting. I love being active, whether outdoors or on the stage, which is why my time [as a special guest speaker] at the Youth Leadership Camp in Stayton, Oregon was great! The campers do a little bit of each of my hobbies and interests - except weight lifting. And, I had the opportunity to participate in some of their activities while I was there.

NAD: Are you currently attending university and/or employed? If either, where are you employed/attending university?
RM: I am employed at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). I am also a new doctoral student at UT as I recently graduated with my Master's degree in English. With my degree, I'll move up from my post as a Teaching Assistant to become Assistant Instructor doing what I love—teaching rhetoric to my class of hearing students.

NAD: What activities are you involved in at or outside of university?
RM: I am fortunate that my education in school not only focused on “book smarts” but also on molding us into citizens through community service - from middle school through college. I try to be involved at different levels of service. For example, while a student at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL, I was involved in the Deaf Awareness Club and Best Buddies. At UT, I recently served as graduate student representative (for the English Department) to the Graduate Student Assembly. I was also active with the Illinois Association of the Deaf (IAD) as Miss Deaf Illinois and recently passed on my crown to the second Senorita Latina Sorda, Brigitte Jimenez, who also represents the National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCHDHH). I also represented NCHDHH from 2007-2010. I'm now looking forward to serving the NAD!

NAD: What was your platform [as Miss Deaf America candidate] and why did you choose this as your platform?
RM: My platform was entitled "Sign Language Literacy" and was about being "literate" in various sign languages (with an emphasis on the plurality of signed languages around the world). I chose this as my platform because I have a passion for language and had a life-changing experience when I traveled with Gallaudet University to Madrid, Spain to study LSE for one month. That same summer, I also spent two weeks in England and learned a bit of BSL.

I was able to apply these experiences to my platform presentation to share what I knew of foreign sign languages in a brief and exciting way. I hope to inspire schools that already teach foreign languages to their deaf students (through reading and writing) to incorporate the country's living language--their signed language. We have numerous deaf immigrants who could contribute to our education as teaching assistants in foreign language classes that are offered to deaf students. I believe that knowledge of various sign languages teaches us more about our own ASL and fosters a stronger deaf community--on a global scale.

NAD: What do you hope to achieve as Miss Deaf America?
RM: I hope to inspire people to consider studying foreign sign languages to foster a stronger deaf community--one that preserves, protects, and promotes our human, civil, and linguistic right to sign language. I also hope to network with the State Ambassadors across our country and to work with them in any way that I can for the next two years. Third, I also hope to be part of developing the strengths of the Miss Deaf America Ambassadorship Program (MDAAP) with the creation of a blog/vlog and link to a calendar of events so that anyone, anywhere, with access to the internet, can find updates at any time.

NAD: Do you have any mentors? Describe them and how they have helped you.
RM: My mom, Anita Mazique-Cervantes, has been a life-long mentor. She was Miss Deaf Illinois in 1981, and it was her continued service and involvement in the deaf community that led to my first and unexpected deaf pageant experience with the Illinois Deaf Latino/a Association (IDLA) in 2006. Iris Martinez has been a mentor since 2006 as director of the IDLA pageant and as chaperone for the IAD, NCHDHH, and NAD competitions--whether behind the scenes, or on site, she was always creatively involved and helped me to prepare for each experience. She was there for me as a "fairy Godmother" or "pageant mom" for the two weeks in Philadelphia for the 50th Biennial NAD Conference, and she continues to support me today!

I also want to mention a mentor I had while at Gallaudet--Jill Bradbury--she encouraged me to go for my Ph.D., and I'm now at that stage in my life thanks to her belief in me, her teachings, and her guidance as my advisor. She, along with other professors in the Gallaudet English Department also supported me in my pageant endeavors as have professors at the University of Texas at Austin! The support of my professors means a lot because they see the important role that pageants play in popular culture, which means that the experience has not needed to be separate from my academic life.

NAD: What are you most grateful for in your life?
RM: I have so much to be grateful for, but I'm most grateful for having had an angel in my life who has made me who I am today--my younger brother, and godson, Jacob Cervantes, taught me about cherishing life to its fullest and about compassion, understanding, and valuing the diverse ways of living--how to see ability in everyone.

NAD: Are there any particular life lessons you’ve learned related to your being deaf, whether funny, sad, profound or edifying? What are they?
RM: I've learned that as a deaf student and teacher, I will always need to advocate for myself and educate others on my abilities as well as on my needs as the sole deaf person in a hearing environment. An edifying experience I had related to the timing of educating others; I realized that when I meet with professors before the first day of class (or as soon as possible after the first class meeting), I am better able to have my needs met than if I wait until a challenging situation occurs.

This experience has also applied to my work life; I find it best to introduce myself not only as my students' teacher, but as their deaf teacher. I am often the first deaf person my students have met, so I find that each encounter I make with hearing people is an important learning experience for all parties involved--which includes the excellent interpreters who make our encounters much more efficient!

NAD: Is there anything I haven’t covered that you would like to comment on?
RM: I would like to comment briefly on the two week experience in Philadelphia, PA. I had an excellent time learning, networking, making new friends with all the state ambassadors, seeing and enjoying the historic sites, and celebrating the 4th of July. The MDAAP is a wonderful program for all involved--including the inspiring and supportive chaperones! I want to thank the whole committee--Allie Rice, Christine Multra-Kraft, Katie Murch, Patty Wolfangle, Arlene Gunderson, Cindy D'Angelo, and Heidi MacGlaughlin for putting everything together and supporting all of the contestants and chaperones through the unique experience. Thanks also to the fun emcees--Evon Black and Frank Dattolo--thanks Frank for awarding all of us MDAAP cupcakes! I also want to thank the NAD Board and Melissa Draganac-Hawk and her family for the opportunities to meet and have dinner with those who have worked a long time with the NAD. Thanks also to the committee for all of your presentations as well as to Melissa Draganac-Hawk for teaching us about leadership styles and to the former Miss Deaf America ambassadors for inspiring us--Michelle Lapides and Jennifer Yost-Ortiz.

This interview was conducted by Sarah Segal, NAD intern. Details on scheduling appearances by Rachel Mazique as Miss Deaf America Ambassador 2010-12 to be released shortly.