A Passion for Math and ASL Lead to a Career for Catherine Gibbons, ’14

Teaching math can be a challenging profession, especially when you are teaching it in a language that is not your first. But Cathie Gibbons, '14, the middle and high school math teacher at St. Mary's School for the Deaf in Buffalo, N.Y., embraces this challenge because of her love for math and her passion for American Sign Language.

Gibbons' career path was inspired by her own teachers, she noted. A high school math teacher helped her to both understand and appreciate that field of study, and her NU ASL professors instilled a desire to work with the Deaf community. When she decided to try and combine her major in education with her minor in ASL, the faculty from both departments supported her in obtaining and completing a student teaching placement at St. Mary's.

"I thought student teaching at Saint Mary's would be a great experience and fun way to utilize my major and minor," she said. "I did not realize how life changing it would be, and I ended up going into Deaf education for my master's degree."

ASL professors Nanette Harmon and Krista Rahelich were instrumental in paving the way for Gibbons to create her unique career path, she said. Harmon helped her complete a minor in ASL, which was just being established, and connected her with Aimee Bell, who was a math teacher at St. Mary's at that time. Gibbons also noted that NU's ASL program's focus on Deaf Culture was critical in preparing her for her current job.

"I think what sets NU apart is all the relationships that they have with the Deaf community in the area," she said, noting that the university's ASL club often participated in events and activities at St. Mary's. "There's more to teaching students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing than ASL. Having that understanding of Deaf Culture was very foundational for my time here. Without the Deaf Culture piece from NU, I don't think I would have been as invested as I am."

Gibbons also served as a teaching assistant in Rahelich's classes, which helped her hone both her teaching and ASL skills, she added.

Now in her 10^th year at the school, Gibbons still enjoys watching her students learn and grow in her classroom.

"Saint Mary's is a special place," she said. "The students are incredible. I really love watching them get math and being able to make it visual through ASL and through other math teaching techniques. In the math classroom, we are working with English, math, and American Sign Language, so it's trying to figure out how to teach math with three languages at the same time. And I love a good challenge."