What to do????

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chelseautie82

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Hi all. I am having a mini breakdown trying to figure out what to do and wondering if anyone has any thoughts.

I have been accepted to 2 different interpreting programs. One in Chicago and the other in Maine. I originally wanted to go to the one in Maine, I got a lot of fin aid in my award letter and it looks like a really good program. The one in Chicago is a good one too but they have been dragging their feet in getting my aid info to me and it isn't looking like I'll be able to go.

But NOW, I'm wondering if I should go at all. I just found out if I move to Maryland and establish residency I will get free tuition via a tuition waiver to do an interpreting program there (and any other courses I may want to take at any community college in Md) through this social security tuition waiver law!

I'm already in major student loan debt and the thought of taking out more loans makes me really nervous. I'm on SSDI/SSI and I have no idea if I will ever actually be able to interpret or get off of SS or pay back any of these loans. I know I want to become fluent in ASL but I have no idea if you can be an interpreter if you don't understand people that well. I can hear but I also have a lot of auditory processing issues and would only be able to interpret in some situations. Maybe trying to work at a deaf school as some sort of assistant would be a better goal? Or maybe I could work with the deaf/blind?

So I guess my question is does anyone know what Baltimore is like? I have heard they have a large deaf community there but I don't have any direct knowledge of it. How is their voc rehab? Can I get around by bus there easily? (I can't drive) I'm not sure I want to relocate without being in school. I'm not sure what I would do for a year while I am trying to establish residency. I wish that was a law everywhere and not just Md.....I have family in New England and I know lots of people in Chicago but I don't know anyone in Md. Does anyone know anything about Baltimore or the deaf community there? I would need to be somewhere where I could have some immersion in order to get more practice signing.....
 
There are number of posters here who are from the Maryland area. Hopefully they will swing by here and give you some insights into the area.
 
there is a deaf school there..Shel90 also lives in maryland... I used to live in MD and there was a pretty good deaf community. You have gally not too far, MSD in frederick which is about an hour and a half ish from Baltimore

Maryland School for the Deaf
 
I have auditory processing issues too. I decided that for me, it will probably be better to pursue a degree in Deaf Humanities or Speech Language Pathology. I'm an older student though. If I were college-aged I probably would go for it. I would have loved to be an interpreter, I really admire them.
Good luck with whatever you decide! :aw:
 
Horizon said:
I have auditory processing issues too. I decided that for me, it will probably be better to pursue a degree in Deaf Humanities or Speech Language Pathology. I'm an older student though. If I were college-aged I probably would go for it. I would have loved to be an interpreter, I really admire them.
Good luck with whatever you decide! :aw:
Click to expand...
Anyone attending college is "college age."

I'm attending college (again), so I know whereof I speak. :lol:
 
That's a great opportunity getting free tuition but the auditory processing issue makes me wonder about your job security.

Have you at least inquired with potential employers and ask them what they want in an interpreter? It seems awful risky going through college and all the expenses for an iffy opportunity.
 
I have auditory processing issues as well. sometimes i think i could use an interpreter. I couldn't imagine trying to do it for someone else. :lol:
 
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