>> So my story I think pretty much from the time I was in high school I knew that I wanted
to work in some sort of a service or ministry.
I did have a calling or vocation if you will to serve the church.
I also wanted to somehow work with people and service in some sort of a service.
I went to Providence College which was a [inaudible] school and I majored in linguistics,
language study, language acquisition.
I was very interested in the deaf community, but at the same time I was interested
in how persons acquire language in all sorts of realms.
So I majored in linguistics.
I had a wonderful time at Providence College.
If I wanted to work with the deaf community I knew that I needed
to do something a little bit more and to go a little bit further.
So I went on to Gallaudet University which is in Washington D.C. and I studied interpreting
and linguistics there but a very fine focus on linguistics as an interpretation for the deaf.
So when I graduated from Gallaudet University in '86 I stayed here in the Washington area
because there is just so much to do here in Washington.
So I was able to really follow my career and it grew and it changed.
I worked solely with the deaf community for many, many years as a sign language interpreter
and then as a pastoral worker for the Archdiocese of Washington.
And now just 5 years ago I was offered this position that kind of broadened that scope
to work with persons with all different disabilities for the Archdiocese of Washington.
I think it is very important that you think about a master's degree in this area.
I'm currently working on my master's degree in Dayton and in pastoral theology.
And I do believe very strongly that if you are going to especially have a staff a size of 6
that you need not only to have the degree to focus on how you are going to provide
that ministry to persons with disabilities but to have that theological background
so that you can do everything through the lens of the church.
So I would strongly recommend that if you're going to be working in managerial,
spheres or whatever you work focus is going to be and mine because it is
from a Catholic lens is based in a pastoral theology.
And so I think it is very important that you strive to not maybe have a terminal degree
but if there is such for you in that career field then strive
for a terminal degree if you could.