Miss-Delectable
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Nothing gets in way of Miss Deaf Colorado | News | The Tribune
Kathy Ronci is getting used to being perched.
Whether it's a few feet above the ground in a horse saddle, or thousands of feet up in the cockpit of an airplane, this college student doesn't see limitations for herself.
Most people would consider Ronci's inability to hear the hooves pounding the ground or the radio blaring takeoff instructions as a drawback, if not an outright limitation.
Ronci, who has been deaf since suffering a bout of meningitis at age 3, just shrugs.
Quite literally, she rises above it.
"It doesn't matter. You can still fly," she said. "There's other ways to get around it to get to your dream."
The University of Northern Colorado sophomore last summer attained another dream. She won the Miss Deaf Colorado pageant, becoming an advocate for the 100,000 deaf people in Colorado.
Ronci, 20, will represent Colorado at the Miss Deaf America pageant in New Orleans in late June.
"It's just like Miss America, but there's no swimsuit competition," Ronci said through an interpreter. "The pageant is not like a beauty pageant. The point of the pageant is to reflect on a woman's intelligence, personality and acceptance (of being deaf)."
Ronci, who grew up on a small ranch near Castle Rock, said she is comfortable with her identity.
She attended one of the largest schools in the state, Douglas County High School, and was the only deaf student in a class of almost 600. In education parlance, she was "mainstreamed," meaning she took classes with hearing students and used a signing interpreter.
She does the same thing in classes at UNC.
"I've always been very independent," Ronci said. "I've never needed extra help or one-on-one with special-education teachers. I work, I have a job. I drive. I pay for my own rent, just like a normal student."
She worked at a Greeley Mall store during her first year at UNC, and she's working at fashion store in Castle Rock this summer.
Life gets hectic when she starts squeezing in appearances as Miss Deaf Colorado, a two-year title that lasts until summer 2009.
"I have a lot of fun," Ronci said. "It's a really good experience. At the same time, it's a lot of commitment, involving a lot of communities."
Ronci is completely deaf in her right ear and has extremely limited hearing in her left ear. She wants to be an elementary teacher who works with deaf children.
She wants to battle the myths of deafness -- a prevalent one being that it inhibits what you can expect of yourself.
"Deaf children will hear sometimes from teachers, sometimes from speech pathologists, sometimes from their parents that they can't be a doctor or whatever they want to be," Ronci said. "But they can do what their dream is."
Ronci has competed in pageants for five years. In 2003, she was crowned Rodeo Princess at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo and last year won the rodeo queen pageant in the town of Elizabeth.
She appeared in last summer's Greeley Independence Day parade as Elizabeth Rodeo Queen.
"I love riding," she said. "I used to barrel race, but now I'm in roping."
When it comes to piloting steeds with metal wings, Ronci eventually wants to get her private license. She takes lessons where her flight instructor signs in the cockpit.
She acknowledges that not many deaf people take up flying. Another shrug.
"Right now I'm flying just for the fun of it," Ronci said.
Kathy Ronci is getting used to being perched.
Whether it's a few feet above the ground in a horse saddle, or thousands of feet up in the cockpit of an airplane, this college student doesn't see limitations for herself.
Most people would consider Ronci's inability to hear the hooves pounding the ground or the radio blaring takeoff instructions as a drawback, if not an outright limitation.
Ronci, who has been deaf since suffering a bout of meningitis at age 3, just shrugs.
Quite literally, she rises above it.
"It doesn't matter. You can still fly," she said. "There's other ways to get around it to get to your dream."
The University of Northern Colorado sophomore last summer attained another dream. She won the Miss Deaf Colorado pageant, becoming an advocate for the 100,000 deaf people in Colorado.
Ronci, 20, will represent Colorado at the Miss Deaf America pageant in New Orleans in late June.
"It's just like Miss America, but there's no swimsuit competition," Ronci said through an interpreter. "The pageant is not like a beauty pageant. The point of the pageant is to reflect on a woman's intelligence, personality and acceptance (of being deaf)."
Ronci, who grew up on a small ranch near Castle Rock, said she is comfortable with her identity.
She attended one of the largest schools in the state, Douglas County High School, and was the only deaf student in a class of almost 600. In education parlance, she was "mainstreamed," meaning she took classes with hearing students and used a signing interpreter.
She does the same thing in classes at UNC.
"I've always been very independent," Ronci said. "I've never needed extra help or one-on-one with special-education teachers. I work, I have a job. I drive. I pay for my own rent, just like a normal student."
She worked at a Greeley Mall store during her first year at UNC, and she's working at fashion store in Castle Rock this summer.
Life gets hectic when she starts squeezing in appearances as Miss Deaf Colorado, a two-year title that lasts until summer 2009.
"I have a lot of fun," Ronci said. "It's a really good experience. At the same time, it's a lot of commitment, involving a lot of communities."
Ronci is completely deaf in her right ear and has extremely limited hearing in her left ear. She wants to be an elementary teacher who works with deaf children.
She wants to battle the myths of deafness -- a prevalent one being that it inhibits what you can expect of yourself.
"Deaf children will hear sometimes from teachers, sometimes from speech pathologists, sometimes from their parents that they can't be a doctor or whatever they want to be," Ronci said. "But they can do what their dream is."
Ronci has competed in pageants for five years. In 2003, she was crowned Rodeo Princess at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo and last year won the rodeo queen pageant in the town of Elizabeth.
She appeared in last summer's Greeley Independence Day parade as Elizabeth Rodeo Queen.
"I love riding," she said. "I used to barrel race, but now I'm in roping."
When it comes to piloting steeds with metal wings, Ronci eventually wants to get her private license. She takes lessons where her flight instructor signs in the cockpit.
She acknowledges that not many deaf people take up flying. Another shrug.
"Right now I'm flying just for the fun of it," Ronci said.