>> 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.