OCALA, FL (352today.com) – An encounter with a deaf man was the life experience that Ocala student Scarlett Phillips needed to pursue her goals.
It was something that combined the 17-year-old rising senior’s love of language and law, a profession she knew she wanted to pursue since the age of 10. But it wasn’t until recently that she knew which law field to pursue, and it was that transforming experience that resonated with the high school student, providing Phillips with the motivation to follow her passion.
A Passion for Language from a Young Age
“I’ve been learning languages since I was in the fourth grade,” said Phillips. “I started learning Spanish and just absolutely fell in love with it.”
When she saw that American Sign Language was being offered during her junior year in high school, Phiilips jumped at the chance to enroll in the course, as it had been something very different from the courses she had taken previously. Phillips is a student at the Florida Cyber Charter Academy.
“She’s doing wonderful in the classroom, her hard work and dedication truly shows with every assignment,” said Michael Nasso, Phillips Virtual ASL teacher at FLCCA. “And as she progresses, I’m excited to see how she’ll do. There are a handful of students who take ASL because they actually want to use it for the future, versus the vast majority of students who need a language credit.”
A Chance Encounter Becomes a Calling
However, it was that one experience that would forever change her life. As ambitious as she is, Phillips intends to learn Chinese and French, get her undergraduate degree, obtain her Juris Doctor, and then open her own law firm. But having a conversation with a deaf man, and seeing how she could make a difference, directed her toward wanting to serve the deaf community so they can have a voice.
“Toward the end of my junior year, I went to get my (driving) learner’s permit, and a deaf man went up to my dad, and he was trying to sign, and my father doesn’t know sign language,” said Phillips. “I started signing with the man. I told him I was trying to learn and wanted to have a conversation with him. I think at that moment it truly sparked the idea and the reassurance that I felt that I needed.”
A Future Built on Advocacy and Understanding
It made Phillips realize that she was going to pursue sign language and wanted to incorporate it with her future and chosen profession.
“As we were signing, I noticed that his face truly lit up. You could just see in that moment how much it meant to him that I was trying to sign,” said Phillips. “And I always describe it as a beautiful moment where you could just experience humanity in its best form of being.”