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Silvia Lopez, deaf since birth, was born in Spain. She currently works as a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in North Carolina, a position she has held since 2005. In this role, Silvia manages a caseload of deaf and hard of hearing clients providing all aspects of counseling, including advocating, marketing, and empowering. A big believer in independence for people with disabilities though partnership and community leadership, Silvia supports any organizations that have the same vision. Silvia is a competent counselor and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Silvia is currently in the last year of her Master’s degree studies in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of North Texas and San Diego State University.
Silvia is no stranger to the helping hand field, with experience working as a nanny, lifeguard, ASL instructor, resident advisor, tutor, camp counselor, swim instructor, sales associate, office clerk and school social work intern. All of which taught her the importance of a strong work ethic, optimal self-sufficiency, and sheer independence.
Silvia has always been a doer and serves as a metaphor for ideas put into action. Silvia helped set up the Deaf Professional Happy Hour (DPHH) in Raleigh and Fayetteville. Presently, she’s assisting/training the new host for the Raleigh DPHH and is the current host for the Fayetteville DPHH. Professionally, she serves on the Skills Building workshop committee to assist clients with job retention and increasing successful outcomes with other specialized disability counselors. Silvia is also aiding in the preparation of a presentation for the North Carolina Rehabilitation Association conference in Asheville on 09/09/2010.
GRO-Guatemala will be Silvia’s first trip as a volunteer, but not her last. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, learning languages/cultures, and helping the disabled realize their opportunities to learn, grow, and serve others like themselves.
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