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Northwest Herald | Natural talent
Chris Schroeder of Algonquin makes a great Danny Zuko.
In his cuffed blue jeans, white T-shirt and black leather jacket, he’s a handsome and confident teenager with an infectious smile, much like John Travolta in the popular movie version of the musical “Grease.”
But when Schroeder says his lines on a stage in Northbrook, he doesn’t speak; he uses his hands. Schroeder has been deaf since he was a baby, and he and the rest of the cast from the International Center on Deafness & the Arts perform using sign language.
“Sometimes you might think he’s a shy kid, but when he’s on stage, he’s awesome,” said Schroeder’s mother, Bobbie. “He has a natural talent for it.”
“He’s very outgoing,” said Carolyn Kalina, a dance teacher with the International Center on Deafness & the Arts. “He’s definitely the leader for all the new kids that come in. He kind of takes them under his wing and shows them the ropes. He’s very smart and funny.”
Being deaf has not stopped Schroeder, 18, from doing things that might seem difficult for someone who cannot hear. He dances and sings with the International Center on Deafness & the Arts, he attends regular classes at Jacobs High School in Algonquin with the help of a full-time interpreter, and he tutors other students in math.
“I had him as a freshman in biology, so I knew he was very capable of communicating clearly with other students, and students actually like him,” said Amanda Frye, the peer tutoring coordinator at Jacobs.
“He’s very patient with [the students he tutors] in math, and they’re very patient with him and his disability,” Frye said.
Schroeder will graduate from Jacobs in June and plans to attend Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., to study math and become a teacher, he said. He has received a full tuition scholarship for the school, which is the world’s only university designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, according to the school’s Web site.
“[Math] seems easy to me. It’s easier than other subjects,” Chris Schroeder signed before a “Grease” dress rehearsal this week. Show director Christine Strejc, who can hear but knows sign language, served as an interpreter.
Growing up deaf was not easy for Schroeder. A car nearly hit him at age 4 because he did not hear his family yelling at him to stop. He said not being able to hear people talk is the hardest part about being deaf.
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand what other people are saying, and I have to rely on lip-reading, which isn’t always very successful,” he said.
Schroeder was born seven weeks early, and the medicine that doctors gave him to help him breathe and save his life probably caused his deafness, Bobbie Schroeder said. As soon as they knew he was deaf, the whole family learned sign language. They introduced him to the Centerlight Theatre program of the International Center on Deafness & the Arts when he was about 5 years old.
“Not only did he see other children who were deaf, he saw adults who were deaf as role models. [The International Center on Deafness & the Arts] is kind of like a second family to him,” Bobbie Schroeder said. “He doesn’t have to work to communicate.”
Most members of the International Center on Deafness & the Arts have to drive about 45 minutes for rehearsals in Northbrook four days a week, Strejc said. The center is the only theater company in the area that offers programs for deaf and hearing-impaired children.
Chris Schroeder said he was sad to be leaving the group after more than 10 years.
“[“Grease”] is going to be my last show. I really like it here. It’s kind of like my second home,” he said.
In the fall, he will be the last of the four Schroeder children to leave home, which is a mixed blessing for his parents, Bobbie and Steve.
“It’s hard because of the distance. ... We’re just very excited that he’s going to be fully immersed in the deaf culture,” Bobbie Schroeder said.
“Having come from a caring family, having been mainstreamed since third grade, we want him to have a chance to experience the deaf world.”
Chris Schroeder of Algonquin makes a great Danny Zuko.
In his cuffed blue jeans, white T-shirt and black leather jacket, he’s a handsome and confident teenager with an infectious smile, much like John Travolta in the popular movie version of the musical “Grease.”
But when Schroeder says his lines on a stage in Northbrook, he doesn’t speak; he uses his hands. Schroeder has been deaf since he was a baby, and he and the rest of the cast from the International Center on Deafness & the Arts perform using sign language.
“Sometimes you might think he’s a shy kid, but when he’s on stage, he’s awesome,” said Schroeder’s mother, Bobbie. “He has a natural talent for it.”
“He’s very outgoing,” said Carolyn Kalina, a dance teacher with the International Center on Deafness & the Arts. “He’s definitely the leader for all the new kids that come in. He kind of takes them under his wing and shows them the ropes. He’s very smart and funny.”
Being deaf has not stopped Schroeder, 18, from doing things that might seem difficult for someone who cannot hear. He dances and sings with the International Center on Deafness & the Arts, he attends regular classes at Jacobs High School in Algonquin with the help of a full-time interpreter, and he tutors other students in math.
“I had him as a freshman in biology, so I knew he was very capable of communicating clearly with other students, and students actually like him,” said Amanda Frye, the peer tutoring coordinator at Jacobs.
“He’s very patient with [the students he tutors] in math, and they’re very patient with him and his disability,” Frye said.
Schroeder will graduate from Jacobs in June and plans to attend Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., to study math and become a teacher, he said. He has received a full tuition scholarship for the school, which is the world’s only university designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, according to the school’s Web site.
“[Math] seems easy to me. It’s easier than other subjects,” Chris Schroeder signed before a “Grease” dress rehearsal this week. Show director Christine Strejc, who can hear but knows sign language, served as an interpreter.
Growing up deaf was not easy for Schroeder. A car nearly hit him at age 4 because he did not hear his family yelling at him to stop. He said not being able to hear people talk is the hardest part about being deaf.
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand what other people are saying, and I have to rely on lip-reading, which isn’t always very successful,” he said.
Schroeder was born seven weeks early, and the medicine that doctors gave him to help him breathe and save his life probably caused his deafness, Bobbie Schroeder said. As soon as they knew he was deaf, the whole family learned sign language. They introduced him to the Centerlight Theatre program of the International Center on Deafness & the Arts when he was about 5 years old.
“Not only did he see other children who were deaf, he saw adults who were deaf as role models. [The International Center on Deafness & the Arts] is kind of like a second family to him,” Bobbie Schroeder said. “He doesn’t have to work to communicate.”
Most members of the International Center on Deafness & the Arts have to drive about 45 minutes for rehearsals in Northbrook four days a week, Strejc said. The center is the only theater company in the area that offers programs for deaf and hearing-impaired children.
Chris Schroeder said he was sad to be leaving the group after more than 10 years.
“[“Grease”] is going to be my last show. I really like it here. It’s kind of like my second home,” he said.
In the fall, he will be the last of the four Schroeder children to leave home, which is a mixed blessing for his parents, Bobbie and Steve.
“It’s hard because of the distance. ... We’re just very excited that he’s going to be fully immersed in the deaf culture,” Bobbie Schroeder said.
“Having come from a caring family, having been mainstreamed since third grade, we want him to have a chance to experience the deaf world.”