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Members and Locations Member: April Bottoms Member Bio: April Bottoms was born deaf and raised in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina with her deaf parents and brother. She also considers Washington, D.C. as her home as she lived there for almost nine years while attending Model Secondary School for the Deaf and Gallaudet University. April graduated from Gallaudet in May of 2011 with a B.A. in communication studies. April enjoys traveling to see what is out there other than just the United States. She loves to learn about different cultures and has great respect for their unique cultures and values as each is beautiful in its own way. April wishes to travel as much as she can. One of her travel goals is to work for the Peace Corps. She wants to make a difference in deaf children’s lives in other countries as well as the United States. April is really looking forward to the experiences with AmeriCorps and to see different life perspectives. AmeriCorps is giving her an excellent adventure and she couldn’t even ask more for! Communities Served: Clovis, Fort Sumner, Hobbs and Portales Member: Taras Dykstra
Member Bio: Taras J. Dykstra was born hearing in San Francisco, California sixty-three years ago. He started to lose his hearing at two years of age due to an illness. He was a child of an Army service person and for eight years lived in different places across the USA, for two years lived in France and for nine months lived in South America as well as a traveled the world. Taras learned Sign Language at the age of ten while attending the Iowa School for the Deaf for the first time. He graduated from the New Mexico School for the Deaf and then went to different universities. At the age of fifty-seven, Taras retired after thirty-four years as a newspaper journeyman. He has also been a photographer, theater artist and a teacher of Sign Language to people from all walks of life since the 1990s. Upon returning to New Mexico one year ago after having lived in Minnesota, Taras has led a more active life than ever. He is joining AmeriCorps for another adventure and to open up more doors of Sign Language to anyone anywhere. Communities Served: North Central & Northeast NM
Member: Zachary Engstler
Member Bio: Zachary Engstler graduated from Iowa School for the Deaf in 2008 and went to Rochester Institute of Technology to study psychology. Zachary is profoundly deaf and is a sixth generation deaf person. He writes in his spare time and wants to make films someday. He was born in Japan and had lived in more than ten different places. He likes to volunteer and help other people. His goal is to remove barriers that are between the hearing and the deaf, and promote deafhood.
Communities Served: Gallup, Grants, Pine Hill, Ramah & Zuni
Member: Joseph Lopez
Member Bio: Greetings, my name is Joseph Lopez III. My nickname is JoJo. I was born and raised in Riverside, California. I graduated from Gallaudet University with Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. I love swimming, running, reading, hiking and road trips. I can’t live without Starbucks Coffee and chili, and Mexican food. I love to socialize with people and share a lot of laughs. In case you didn’t know, they say laughter is the best medicine of them all.
Communities Served: Alamogordo, Anthony, Hatch, Las Cruces, Mescalero, Sunland Park and Truth or Consequences
Member: Norah Matthews
Member Bio: To Norah Matthews, a blue moon (two full moons in one month) happens once every 17 years. When people see it, they don't know it's a blue moon. It is rare and unique, just like Norah Matthews. Norah was born and raised in Maryland but, attended school in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Gallaudet University with a degree in Theatre and a minor in Spanish. Theatre is the air she breathes and snowboarding makes her heart beats. To tell her to stop theatre and snowboarding is as equal as telling her to stop living life. She believes in a life of "Oh Wells” rather than "What ifs”. Joining AmeriCorps is one "What If" that'll never cross Norah's mind.
Communities Served: Deming & Silver City
Member: Elizabeth Steyer
Member Bio: Elizabeth Steyer was born and reared in the Midwest in a loving hearing family who accepted my wanderlust and indulged my insatiable curiosity. She began her education at age two when she was first exposed to ASL. She spent a happy childhood attending a bilingual-bicultural charter school in Minnesota. She later transferred to a mainstream school, where she graduated four years later to hurry off to Gallaudet University. During her college years she interned in South America and studied abroad in Europe which was to her the most memorable and best part of her youth. Now New Mexico is the new chapter in her oh-so wonderful life! Communities Served: : 4 Corners (Aztec, Bloomfield, Farmington, Pueblo Pintado & Shiprock)
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© 2011 New Mexico School for the Deaf | 1060 Cerrillos Road • Santa Fe, NM 87505 | 505-476-6300 |
