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Claudia Anderson was born deaf in St. Louis, MO. Her older brother is also deaf so she had an earlier intervention than most. Claudia went to an oral school through 5th grade, then was mainstreamed for a year before her family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Claudia went to another mainstream school where, once again, she was the only deaf student, so she learned how to advocate for herself early. Claudia knew she wanted to experience the deaf world so she decided to attend RIT for college. She did not know any sign language other than the ABC's so she went through a bit of culture shock. Claudia went through several majors during her time there, including accounting, criminal justice, and food management. However, she wound up deciding Rochester weather was not for her and transferred to a state school in south Florida, where she studied psychology and minored in history. Unfortunately, Claudia had to withdraw due to extenuating circumstances so she is taking a break from school right now. She moved to DC about a month ago for the summer and is anticipating finishing her degree after all the GRO delegates get back to the states. Claudia doesn't have much experience with international travel other than Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean. Those were pleasure trips, so she is looking forward to seeing what life is like for the deaf in third world countries and seeing what she can contribute to their awareness. Claudia hopes to join groups to other countries after this trip. |