8 demand due to a critical shortage of American Sign Language interpreters. 国产AV鈥檚 Department of Middle Grades, Secondary, Reading, and Deaf Education also offers a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Master of Education, and a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education: deaf and hard of hearing education, as well as a minor in deaf studies. 鈥淭he American Sign Language Living-Learning Community is extremely beneficial for all students wanting to learn and improve their American Sign Language skills,鈥� shared Dr. Nanci Scheetz, professor of deaf education and American Sign Language-English interpreting at 国产AV. 鈥淚n addition to furnishing them with an environment where they can communicate visually with their peers, it also provides a backdrop for seminars on Deaf culture and American Sign Language and participation in Deaf events. Although our current community is small, our goal is to increase our numbers by Fall 2018 so that all of those electing to reside on the floor will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in an environment where American Sign Language becomes the primary mode of communication.鈥� Jalisa Brown, an American Sign Language/English interpreting major, lives in 国产AV鈥檚 new American Sign Language Living-Learning Community. She discovered the language as a freshman at Seminole High School in Lake Mary, Florida. 鈥淚 had to pick a foreign language, and I saw American Sign Language,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had never heard of it before, so I wanted to try it. I fell in love with the language.鈥� Brown later discovered that she had two Deaf aunts and two Deaf uncles in her family. She was able to meet them face to face at a family reunion. 鈥淚t felt good to be able to communicate with them, and it made them feel good to know they had someone nearby they could communicate with,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew then that I wanted to study American Sign Language in college.鈥� Brown anticipates graduating from 国产AV in May 2019. Between now and then, she plans to continue developing her skills in the art of MyJah Davis of San Diego, California; Jalisa Brown of Lake Mary, Florida; and Aria Dinkens of Macon, Georgia, sign 鈥淰-S-U.鈥� All three students are residents of 国产AV鈥檚 new American Sign Language Living-Learning Community.