Miss-Delectable
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http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_15601271?nclick_check=1
College is just around the corner for high school senior Mary Rose Weber and deciding a major is at the top of the 17-year-old Apple Valley student's list.
Mary Rose, who is deaf, is taking part in a nine-week program for students with hearing disabilities that will help her decide whether computer science engineering is right for her.
It's "definitely something I'm interested in," Mary Rose said through an interpreter.
The course will give her an extra boost in helping her decide what career to pursue, Mary Rose said.
"We understand each other easier," said Mary Rose, who lost her hearing as a baby. "I don't fear (asking the teacher questions) because I feel more comfortable in a class with deaf and hard of hearing. That is important for me and my education."
Mary Rose, who attends the Metro Deaf School — Minnesota North Star Academy in St. Paul, is one of 10 students from across the nation taking part in the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Computing. The program runs until Aug. 21 at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The program is designed to teach students about computer programming while introducing them to mentors in the field who also have hearing disabilities, said Richard Ladner, Boeing professor in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington.
"The role models are computer professionals, who have already made it," he said. "For most of these students, they've never seen a deaf professional in computing."
The students also tour companies, such as Google Inc.
Ladner, whose parents taught deaf students, created the academy three years ago. "I saw secondhand through their eyes the struggles that these students have," he said.
A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation helped jump-start the program. The academy has since received a second grant and is applying for a third.
The summer academy is free for students and includes transportation to the college. So far, 40 students have participated.
The summer academy accepts 10 participants each year. To qualify, students must have good grades, plans for college, recommendations and an interest in computer science.
In the program, students take two courses. The first is a computer programming class, where they receive college credit. The second is an animation class, where they design and edit two-minute animation videos using mice as characters.
After four weeks, Weber is still struggling with her video.
"It's still pretty challenging and difficult," she said.
The experience prepares students for college, Ladner said. While in the program, students live in the university's dorms and attend classes on campus.
Learning to live independently is helpful for Weber, who is considering going away for college, she said. One of her top choices is the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, which has the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
But "I'm still kind of thinking on that," she said.
College is just around the corner for high school senior Mary Rose Weber and deciding a major is at the top of the 17-year-old Apple Valley student's list.
Mary Rose, who is deaf, is taking part in a nine-week program for students with hearing disabilities that will help her decide whether computer science engineering is right for her.
It's "definitely something I'm interested in," Mary Rose said through an interpreter.
The course will give her an extra boost in helping her decide what career to pursue, Mary Rose said.
"We understand each other easier," said Mary Rose, who lost her hearing as a baby. "I don't fear (asking the teacher questions) because I feel more comfortable in a class with deaf and hard of hearing. That is important for me and my education."
Mary Rose, who attends the Metro Deaf School — Minnesota North Star Academy in St. Paul, is one of 10 students from across the nation taking part in the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Computing. The program runs until Aug. 21 at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The program is designed to teach students about computer programming while introducing them to mentors in the field who also have hearing disabilities, said Richard Ladner, Boeing professor in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington.
"The role models are computer professionals, who have already made it," he said. "For most of these students, they've never seen a deaf professional in computing."
The students also tour companies, such as Google Inc.
Ladner, whose parents taught deaf students, created the academy three years ago. "I saw secondhand through their eyes the struggles that these students have," he said.
A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation helped jump-start the program. The academy has since received a second grant and is applying for a third.
The summer academy is free for students and includes transportation to the college. So far, 40 students have participated.
The summer academy accepts 10 participants each year. To qualify, students must have good grades, plans for college, recommendations and an interest in computer science.
In the program, students take two courses. The first is a computer programming class, where they receive college credit. The second is an animation class, where they design and edit two-minute animation videos using mice as characters.
After four weeks, Weber is still struggling with her video.
"It's still pretty challenging and difficult," she said.
The experience prepares students for college, Ladner said. While in the program, students live in the university's dorms and attend classes on campus.
Learning to live independently is helpful for Weber, who is considering going away for college, she said. One of her top choices is the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, which has the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
But "I'm still kind of thinking on that," she said.