Ana Kristina Arce

Ana Kristina ArceDeaf E-News)">

Search for Ana Kristina Arce on YouTube and you'll find video upon video of commencement speeches.
Without a sound, she is able to communicate passion and hope in her speeches.

Deaf since she was born, Ana's hearing disability didn't stop her from unstoppable yearning to learn. She
was awarded class valedictorian at the Philippine School for the Deaf and her success in the academe
went on from there.

In 2009, she graduated magna cum laude from the De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde (CSB) with a
degree in Applied Deaf studies. Her focus was on the multimedia arts and she went on to become a
graphic artist at her alma mater, CSB.

Blazing the trail, she continued on to study abroad to pursue a Master's Degree. She earned her MA in
Deaf Studies from the Gallaudet University, Washington D.C., one of the world's most prominent
universities in the field of deaf studies. She is the first Filipino to be sent to Gallaudet University with a
World Deaf Leadership Scholarship.

Why all the studying? Ana says she wants to give back. On the New Internationalist Blog she said:

"I hope to not only help them (the deaf) go through college, but also make them good researchers, and
active advocates in their respective communities. In my advocacy, I’m looking at opportunities to bring
the needs of the Deaf into the consciousness of society, especially the hearing people. I aim to help
integrate the Deaf and the hearing together in unity, bridge the communication gap, increase awareness
of the Deaf culture, and raise the respect for the natural sign language of the Filipino Deaf – the Filipino
Sign Language."

https://www.kalibrr.com/advice/2015/10/3-inspiring-people-with-disability-pwd-in-the-philippines