{"id":14988,"date":"2011-07-13T04:39:38","date_gmt":"2011-07-13T09:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=14988"},"modified":"2011-07-13T05:00:27","modified_gmt":"2011-07-13T10:00:27","slug":"student-to-compete-in-miss-deaf-texas-pageant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/07\/13\/student-to-compete-in-miss-deaf-texas-pageant\/","title":{"rendered":"Student to compete in Miss Deaf Texas pageant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Student to compete in Miss Deaf Texas pageant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle Benjamin\u2019s eyes catch everything.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s the glances or awkward grimace between people trying to help
\nher understand a question, Benjamin\u2019s eyes catch everything.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve had to for five years.The business administration graduate student
\nbecame completely deaf in 2006.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it was just a shock,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I had to use the term normal, I
\nguess I would have to say I was knocked down to it when I lost my
\nhearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, she is learning to embrace herself as she represents Miss Deaf
\nArlington 2011 Tuesday through July 23 at the Miss Deaf Texas pageant in
\nCypress, Texas. But she\u2019s having trouble finding a sponsor to support her
\ntrip.<\/p>\n

She was pronounced Miss Deaf Arlington after filling out an application and
\nhaving an online interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be Miss Deaf Texas because I believe I am a good example of how
\nto achieve your dream despite having a disability,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Benjamin lived in Georgia when she began to lose her hearing in April 2006.
\nBy February 2007, she couldn\u2019t speak on the phone.<\/p>\n

With no history of hearing loss in her family, doctors couldn\u2019t figure out
\nhow it happened, she said. Seven different doctors told her seven different
\nopinions. She transferred to UTA to live closer to family and get the help
\nshe needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one knew I was deaf for a year until I told my mom,\u201d she said. \u201cI tried
\nnot to speak. So communication was minimal. People just assumed I was shy,
\nso they left me alone. All I had was lip and body reading.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brannon Sledge, her best friend and graduate student at Prairie View A&M
\nUniversity, said Benjamin was already going deaf when they met.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you didn\u2019t know she was deaf, then you couldn\u2019t really even tell in
\nconversation,\u201d he said. \u201cThe worst part of her adjusting was all when it
\nstarted happening to her, because it was like something that we take for
\ngranted was pulled away from her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benjamin, 26, said she couldn\u2019t do anything she used to do. She couldn\u2019t be
\nas social as she was before.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to give up a job and two internships because when I lost my hearing,
\nmy grades were affected. I went from a 3.0 [grade-point average] to a 1.7 in
\na year,\u201d she said. \u201cI put it to the equivalent of someone who got into a car
\naccident and lost their legs. If you\u2019re a track runner, that\u2019s devastating
\nto you.<\/p>\n

My whole world revolved around hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in 2009, she said she heard the sound of water rushing and birds
\nchirping again, thanks to a cochlear implant \u2014 a small, electronic device
\nthat sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed
\nunder the skin to help give a representation of sounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe day they turned it on, they had this big fish tank in the office. It
\nhad running water,\u201d she said. \u201cI was like, \u2018What is that?\u2019 It didn\u2019t sound
\nlike water at all. It sounded like someone was playing with newspaper or
\nsomething.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, she is getting the hang of talking on the phone again. She said doctors
\ntold her what takes most cochlear implant patients about 2 years, she\u2019s
\nmanaged to accomplish in 6 months.<\/p>\n

But graphic design junior Shaquita Benjamin, Michelle Benjamin\u2019s sister,
\nsaid she still has difficulty communicating with Michelle Benjamin.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, her hearing device is off or turned down low and I can not get
\nher attention,\u201d Shaquita Benjamin said. \u201cOr, if I am trying to talk to her,
\nshe might not fully comprehend or even hear me at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Sledge and Shaquita Benhamin said they\u2019re proud of Michelle Benjamin
\nfor how she\u2019s adjusted to her impairment.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe decided to not let that stop her and continue to strive even more to
\naccomplish her goals. She has become an even stronger person as a result of
\nthat,\u201d Sledge said.<\/p>\n

Student to participate in Miss Deaf Texas<\/p>\n

Michelle Benjamin, business administration graduate student, is one of them.<\/p>\n

Established in 1976 in Las Colinas, this will be the pageant\u2019s 35th year,
\nsaid Amanda Tuite, Miss Deaf Texas director.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is Miss Deaf Texas different than Miss Texas? We have deaf contestants,
\nof course,\u201d Tuite said. \u201cTheir speech will be presented in American Sign
\nLanguage. The girls are not judged based on beauty, but their talent,
\nintelligence, clarity and poise. Miss Deaf Texas does not have a swimsuit
\ncompetition.\u201d<\/p>\n

While there, Benjamin will represent education with disability during the
\nspeech part of the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to give a brief presentation on what it\u2019s like from the point of
\nview of a student, because I don\u2019t think many people realize how hard it
\nis,\u201d Benjamin said.<\/p>\n

The contestants will have some time Tuesday through July 23 before the
\npageant to attend workshops, public and private events, and develop new
\nfriendships, Tuite said. The winner of the pageant receives a $1,000
\nscholarship and will compete for Miss Deaf America in Kentucky in summer
\n2012.<\/p>\n

Source: (article and pictures)<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.theshorthorn.com\/index.php\/news\/citystate\/27496-student-to-com
\npete-in-miss-deaf-texas-pageant<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Student to compete in Miss Deaf Texas pageant Michelle Benjamin\u2019s eyes catch everything. Whether it\u2019s the glances or awkward grimace between people trying to help her understand a question, Benjamin\u2019s eyes catch everything. They\u2019ve had to for five years.The business…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[7149,1629,268,4621,23,9993,1554,7518,1570,1245,6548,9994,9997,5589,1645,9995,2214,17,9996,9626],"class_list":["post-14988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-amanda-tuite","tag-american-sign-language","tag-arlington","tag-article","tag-asl","tag-brannon-sledge","tag-cochlear-implant","tag-georgia","tag-hearing","tag-hearing-loss","tag-las-colinas","tag-michelle-benjamin","tag-miss-deaf-america","tag-miss-deaf-texas","tag-scholarship","tag-shaquita-benjamin","tag-sponsors","tag-texas","tag-the-shorthorn","tag-ut-arlington"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-3TK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1759,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2007\/06\/11\/new-miss-deaf-texas-crowned\/","url_meta":{"origin":14988,"position":0},"title":"New Miss Deaf Texas crowned","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"June 11, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Congratulations to the new Miss Deaf Texas 2007-2009! Katherine Murch, Miss Deaf Corpus Christi was crowned by Miss Deaf Texas 2006-2007, Johanna Valenta. Katherine is from Corpus Christi. She will be representing Texas at the Miss Deaf America Pageant during the NAD conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The results of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Katherine Murch - New Miss Deaf Texas from Corpus Christi, Texas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deaftexas.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/katherine_murch.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12469,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/12\/01\/miss-deaf-texas-2011-announcement\/","url_meta":{"origin":14988,"position":1},"title":"Miss Deaf Texas 2011 Announcement","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"December 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Miss Deaf Texas 2011 Announcement The Miss Deaf Texas Pageant is coming to Houston on July 30, 2011! We are actively recruiting contestants. Please pass along this information to all the young deaf females between the ages of 17-29. For more information, please log on http:\/\/www.missdeaftexas.com . The MDT Pageant\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3674,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2008\/07\/15\/areas-miss-deaf-texas-finishes-2nd-at-national-event\/","url_meta":{"origin":14988,"position":2},"title":"Area’s Miss Deaf Texas finishes 2nd at national event","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"July 15, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Area's Miss Deaf Texas finishes 2nd at national event Corpus Christi's Murch was first runner-up for Miss Deaf America 2008-2010 By Mike Baird (Contact) July 11, 2008 Miss Deaf Texas, Katie Murch, talks in American Sign Language about her history and the platform for education important to her pageant position.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14530,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/05\/31\/miss-deaf-texas-pageant-recruiting-new-contestants\/","url_meta":{"origin":14988,"position":3},"title":"Miss Deaf Texas Pageant Recruiting new contestants","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"May 31, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Miss Deaf Texas Pageant Recruiting new contestants The Miss Deaf Texas Pageant is coming to Houston on July 23, 2011! We are actively recruiting contestants. The deadline is June 17, 2011! There's still time! We are looking for a few good Deaf ladies from the following cities: San Antonio Dallas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18687,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/05\/09\/please-help-support-miss-deaf-texas-sericia-jackerson-to-miss-deaf-america-pageant\/","url_meta":{"origin":14988,"position":4},"title":"Please help support Miss Deaf Texas Sericia Jackerson to Miss Deaf America Pageant","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"May 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Please help support Miss Deaf Texas Sericia Jackerson to Miss Deaf America Pageant Miss Deaf Texas, Sericia Jackerson will be competing in the Miss Deaf\u00a0America pageant during July 2-July 7, 2012. We are seeking financial\u00a0assistance to send Sericia & her team to Louisville, KY for the Miss\u00a0Deaf America finals. It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/miss-deaf-austin-sericia-jackerson-website.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13008,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/01\/25\/dallas-black-deaf-advocates-pageant-2011\/","url_meta":{"origin":14988,"position":5},"title":"Dallas Black Deaf Advocates Pageant 2011","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"January 25, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Miss Dallas Black Deaf Pageant 2011 Must be single, childless and age 18 -30 If you are interested please contact- keyvia@tmail.com or text 972 904-0809 2011 MISS BLACK DEAF DALLAS PAGEANT \"Shall Be A Lady Forever \" Date: Friday, March 25, 2011 Time: 6:00 p.m. Pageant Admission Tickets $15.00 Member\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14988"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14992,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14988\/revisions\/14992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}