KAREN JOY S.

PETALCO
CTEACH-EDU 537
REFLECTION

Ana Kristena Arce is a Filipina who born deaf but Ana's hearing disability didn't
stop her from unstoppable yearning to learn and she amazes lots of people because
she believes in herself that a disabled person can still be successful in life. She faced so
many challenges in life such as discrimination because of her disability at the time she's
studying discrimination still happening in the school. Communicating in the classroom
was quite difficult because Ana and her class mates don't know how to communicate
with each other. Ana has a classmate that is typical but don't include her in any activities
and projects because of her disability and that makes her disappointed. But Ana realize
that she'll be successful one day and she wants everybody to believe in her. That's why,
she decided to study in De La Salle-College of St. Benilde School of Deaf Education
and Applied Studies. This is the school that welcomes her as a person with disability
where felt loved and cared because the school was like a family.
Ana boost her confidence and she learned about the deaf people and she
became part of the Deaf Community. She has one goal and that is to teach and help
fellow deaf to become empowered. Ana became a class Valedictorian in high School
and Magna Cum Laude in College and earned a Master’s Degree in Deaf studies in the
United States and she achieved these prominent awards while being audibly impaired
and that's makes her an inspiration to everyone. Also she prove her words at the time
she once said on the International Blog that she want to give back to help fellow people
with disabilities especially the deaf ones. She not only hopes to help them go through
College/Universities but also to make them good researchers and active advocates in
their respective communities and she did. Ana wants to integrate the deaf and hearing
together in unity, bridge communication gap, increase awareness of the deaf culture
and raise the respect to all individual who has a disability and impairment because Ana
raise her voice that there difference between typical person is not an issue of normalcy
or disability but an equal rights to prosper beyond deaf or hearing impairment as people
who earn the space they deserve in humanity.
I am very proud of Ana Kristena Arce by her capabilities as an individual with
disability because she's being successful and it makes me think deeper that what else
she can do if she is not deaf. Ana serve as a living proof that disability is not a
hindrance to success but just strive harder and smarter because hard work pays off.
Don't make an impairment or disability as a hindrance not to become a better person
and can't have fulfilling life. Because the quotes of Ana Kristina Arce touch my heart that
"With our hands, we can go places, change lives and make a difference. I believe we
can reach out maximum potentials no matter what challenges we face in life because
God is our potter and we are his clay. This quote made me realize that we typical
individual should be respectful enough and should embrace individual differences
because with or without disability we should unite and make a better world through our
potentials and capabilities. Always believe in yourself and the process.