Miss-Delectable
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Born Deaf, Beth Ross Has Overcome A Lot Entering Her Senior Year At CCHS
Beth Ross, of Calhoun City, has just begun one of the most exciting years of her life – her senior year of high school. Throughout her school days she's been extremely active beyond the typical academic regimen. She's participated in the school band, is a cheerleader, took dance classes for years, played softball with the Lady Wildcats and has even squeezed in a weekend job at Paisley's Steakhouse in Big Creek for the past four years.
What's remarkable about all of Beth's activities and accomplishments is she was born deaf.
“We suspected it when she was about five months old,” said Jane Ross, Beth’s mother. “We found out for certain when she was 10 months. She would walk away from us, and you could tell she couldn’t hear you.”
She was given hearing aids at 15-months-old and admitted to the First Steps Program at Ole Miss – a state funded program to provide services for children with developmental disabilities. She remained in the program until she was three, when she began attending the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf.
“We went there for a year and a half, traveling back and forth living with family and friends,” Jane said.
“We had so much support from so many people during those years,” Jane said. “It would be impossible to name everyone. Our family, our church, the entire community has always been incredibly supportive.”
One of the first doctors the family saw wasn't quite as supportive.
“He told me, ‘you’re in the worst state in the country to raise a deaf child,’” Jane said. “We never saw him again.”
Beth had implants installed when she was four years old which provided her with some level of hearing for the first time. It also enabled her to begin to develop language skills.
After a lot of travel in those early years, Beth started kindergarten in Calhoun City at the same age as everyone else. Beth said she knew early on she was different from the other kids.
“I could just tell,” Beth said. “I couldn’t talk like everybody else.”
Understanding teachers was one of the first big obstacles. She was assigned a “buddy” in most all her classes at CCHS to help make sure she heard instructions. She has also sat at the front of the class throughout her school career.
“I could hear the teachers talking, but I couldn’t always understand what they were saying,” Beth said. “But the teachers have always been very helpful. I would always just ask the other kids ‘what is she saying?’”
Beth wears a speech processor that helps her distinguish words more clearly. Jane said her understanding is that Beth can hear virtually at the same level as anyone else, but the sound is more like a “mechanical voice.”
“In many ways she hears a lot of things we don’t,” Jane said. “Things like water running or the air conditioner cutting on and off that we don’t even notice, she’ll hear and ask ‘what’s that?’”
Even without the processor on, Beth can hear some loud sounds.
“I can hear a car horn or thunder, anything that’s real loud,” Beth said.
When Beth was in the sixth grade the school district hired Dawn Blakely, a young teacher still earning college credits at the time, to be her personal teacher.
“I think it really made a lot of difference,” Jane said. “The school district has always been extremely helpful.”
Since then she has seen Ella Hood throughout the school year to assist her, particularly with English.
Jane and Perry Ross made the commitment early on for their daughter to learn to speak, rather than rely on sign language. Processing all the intricacies of language while deaf has proven to be Beth’s biggest challenge.
“Sometimes I wish I was like everybody else, that I knew all these words right now,” Beth said. “But I will. I just have to keep working.”
Beth explained the challenges at school aren’t always in the classroom, but also just hanging with friends.
“I hate having to ask my friends all the time what they’re saying,” Beth said. “I don’t want to get on their nerves. But I have a lot of friends and they’ve always been supportive.”
Beth has never taken the position of feeling slighted due to her disability.
“I worried about it more when I was little,” Beth said. “I don’t think about it much now. God made me this way. I can do whatever I want to do.”
She wanted her driver’s license the first day she was eligible, so she studied up and passed the test on the first try.
“My face was really red on my first license because I was so excited,” Beth said.
She wanted to dance, so she took dance lessons.
“She dances great,” Jane said. “I can hear and I can’t dance.”
She wanted to play in the band so she did that for four years playing the clarinet and percussion.
“I asked a lot of questions,” Beth said of her band experience.
She’s been on the Wildcats’ cheerleading squad throughout high school.
“Cheerleading is the most fun,” Beth said. “We have competition in December. I’m really excited about that.”
She’s also been a contributor with the high school softball team, but says she’s going to have to give that up this year.
“That was a hard decision because I love softball,” Beth said. “But I’ve got to focus on academics this year.”
That’s due to her dreams beyond high school graduation.
“I want to go to college and then work at a nursing home,” Beth said. “I want to help older people. I enjoy that.”
But for now she’s enjoying the experience of a high school senior and hanging out with friends.
“I can’t believe I’m a senior,” Beth said with a wide grin.
“I’m just happy,” she said. “I’m happy the way I am.”
Beth Ross, of Calhoun City, has just begun one of the most exciting years of her life – her senior year of high school. Throughout her school days she's been extremely active beyond the typical academic regimen. She's participated in the school band, is a cheerleader, took dance classes for years, played softball with the Lady Wildcats and has even squeezed in a weekend job at Paisley's Steakhouse in Big Creek for the past four years.
What's remarkable about all of Beth's activities and accomplishments is she was born deaf.
“We suspected it when she was about five months old,” said Jane Ross, Beth’s mother. “We found out for certain when she was 10 months. She would walk away from us, and you could tell she couldn’t hear you.”
She was given hearing aids at 15-months-old and admitted to the First Steps Program at Ole Miss – a state funded program to provide services for children with developmental disabilities. She remained in the program until she was three, when she began attending the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf.
“We went there for a year and a half, traveling back and forth living with family and friends,” Jane said.
“We had so much support from so many people during those years,” Jane said. “It would be impossible to name everyone. Our family, our church, the entire community has always been incredibly supportive.”
One of the first doctors the family saw wasn't quite as supportive.
“He told me, ‘you’re in the worst state in the country to raise a deaf child,’” Jane said. “We never saw him again.”
Beth had implants installed when she was four years old which provided her with some level of hearing for the first time. It also enabled her to begin to develop language skills.
After a lot of travel in those early years, Beth started kindergarten in Calhoun City at the same age as everyone else. Beth said she knew early on she was different from the other kids.
“I could just tell,” Beth said. “I couldn’t talk like everybody else.”
Understanding teachers was one of the first big obstacles. She was assigned a “buddy” in most all her classes at CCHS to help make sure she heard instructions. She has also sat at the front of the class throughout her school career.
“I could hear the teachers talking, but I couldn’t always understand what they were saying,” Beth said. “But the teachers have always been very helpful. I would always just ask the other kids ‘what is she saying?’”
Beth wears a speech processor that helps her distinguish words more clearly. Jane said her understanding is that Beth can hear virtually at the same level as anyone else, but the sound is more like a “mechanical voice.”
“In many ways she hears a lot of things we don’t,” Jane said. “Things like water running or the air conditioner cutting on and off that we don’t even notice, she’ll hear and ask ‘what’s that?’”
Even without the processor on, Beth can hear some loud sounds.
“I can hear a car horn or thunder, anything that’s real loud,” Beth said.
When Beth was in the sixth grade the school district hired Dawn Blakely, a young teacher still earning college credits at the time, to be her personal teacher.
“I think it really made a lot of difference,” Jane said. “The school district has always been extremely helpful.”
Since then she has seen Ella Hood throughout the school year to assist her, particularly with English.
Jane and Perry Ross made the commitment early on for their daughter to learn to speak, rather than rely on sign language. Processing all the intricacies of language while deaf has proven to be Beth’s biggest challenge.
“Sometimes I wish I was like everybody else, that I knew all these words right now,” Beth said. “But I will. I just have to keep working.”
Beth explained the challenges at school aren’t always in the classroom, but also just hanging with friends.
“I hate having to ask my friends all the time what they’re saying,” Beth said. “I don’t want to get on their nerves. But I have a lot of friends and they’ve always been supportive.”
Beth has never taken the position of feeling slighted due to her disability.
“I worried about it more when I was little,” Beth said. “I don’t think about it much now. God made me this way. I can do whatever I want to do.”
She wanted her driver’s license the first day she was eligible, so she studied up and passed the test on the first try.
“My face was really red on my first license because I was so excited,” Beth said.
She wanted to dance, so she took dance lessons.
“She dances great,” Jane said. “I can hear and I can’t dance.”
She wanted to play in the band so she did that for four years playing the clarinet and percussion.
“I asked a lot of questions,” Beth said of her band experience.
She’s been on the Wildcats’ cheerleading squad throughout high school.
“Cheerleading is the most fun,” Beth said. “We have competition in December. I’m really excited about that.”
She’s also been a contributor with the high school softball team, but says she’s going to have to give that up this year.
“That was a hard decision because I love softball,” Beth said. “But I’ve got to focus on academics this year.”
That’s due to her dreams beyond high school graduation.
“I want to go to college and then work at a nursing home,” Beth said. “I want to help older people. I enjoy that.”
But for now she’s enjoying the experience of a high school senior and hanging out with friends.
“I can’t believe I’m a senior,” Beth said with a wide grin.
“I’m just happy,” she said. “I’m happy the way I am.”