TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Keena Miller
Phone: 512-462-5328, cell: 512-658-4444
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
Austin, Texas – June 4, 2009 At 7:00 p.m. today, students of Texas
School for the Deaf’s (TSD) Class of 2009 receive their diplomas and
celebrate their achievements among friends and family during
commencement ceremonies in the R. L. Davis Auditorium at 1102 South
Congress Avenue, before embarking on the next leg of their life’s
journey.
TSD’s 2009 Valedictorian, Krystal Johnson, from North Richland
Hills, and Salutatorian, Michelle Giterman, of Austin, are among the
51 graduating seniors. Several graduates have already received letters
of acceptance from colleges and universities outside of Texas while
many will attend in-state community colleges and universities, or seek
technical training degrees. Others receiving certificates of
completion will remain at TSD to focus on independent living and
specialized job skills in the Post-Secondary Transitional Program.
To give the commencement address this evening, TSD welcomes Mr. Mark
J. Myers MA, Provost at Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf
(SWCID) in Big Spring. Claire Bugen, TSD’s Superintendent says,
“Mr. Myers plans to inspire our students about the many
post-secondary options that are available to them, and what it takes
to be successful beyond graduation.” Myers, who became profoundly
deaf due to spinal meningitis at the age of 11 months, is a graduate
of St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo NY. He holds a Bachelor
of Arts in Psychology from Gallaudet University, a Master of Arts in
Deafness Rehabilitation from New York University, and is currently in
a doctoral program at the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining
SWCID, Myers 18+ years of management and supervisory experience
working with community-technical colleges, as well as private
non-profit and governmental agencies in the field of higher education,
and rehabilitation and in community-based services to persons who are
deaf and hard of hearing makes him, Bugen adds, “a perfect role
model to motivate these students to reach beyond their wildest
dreams.”
With a strong belief in culture and community at TSD, students form a
unique identity based on their individual strengths and talents,
rather than their disabilities. TSD is an environment where students
learn, grow, and belong. For more information about TSD, visit
www.tsd.state.tx.us.
WHAT: 2009 Graduation Ceremony
WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 2009
7:00 PM
WHERE:
R.L. Davis Auditorium
Texas School for the Deaf (TSD)
1102 South Congress
Austin Texas 78704