World Deaf Leadership

Name: Anthony Chong Country: Malaysia Field of Study: Deaf Studies with Concentration in Cultural Studies

My first name is Vee Yee and last name is Chong, therefore, it is Vee Yee Chong. I am from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I happily received the WDL scholarship award in 2010 to study at Gallaudet University. I began pursuing my graduate degree in Deaf Studies with a concentration in Cultural Studies. I chose Gallaudet University for graduate study because I like and love learning more about Deaf studies. Gallaudet University is the best place for me to study because the resources related to deaf people around the world ARE the RICHEST here.

My dream career is to become a professor in a University - where I will be able to use my knowledge in Linguistics, Deaf Studies and Deaf Education to EMPOWER Deaf people in Malaysia. Therefore, I am doing my best to graduate with a Masters degree in Deaf Studies and hope to start my PhD in Deaf Education in Gallaudet University with the same scholarship soon. I have a long term goal for the development of the deaf community in Malaysia.

With the PhD degree, I will be able to work with my government's special education department in renewing the education system and curriculum for the deaf. I also will be able to start researching and writing many articles related to sign language, deaf education and deaf needs in Malaysia. It is my belief that we can bring change to the deaf community through education and from the top level, instead from grassroots level. Besides, that I also hope to set up deaf center in one university, near my hometown and make local deaf resources more accessible. With the deaf center and my PhD degree, I hope will be able to create more academic opportunities and jobs for the deaf at Universities, and help deaf people to advance their education in linguistics, deaf education and deaf studies. Without PhD degree, it is impossible to make my dream come true because the government and university will refuse to work with deaf people with only MA degrees, per my experience and observation.

Many deaf people and hearing people (teachers for the deaf, SL interpreter) will benefit from these goals. The scholarship is the key that I can use to obtain MA and PhD degrees from Gallaudet University and the scholarship also brings my peers and I closer to the development of better future, education and social status in Malaysia. In other word, the scholarship brings me closer to my dreams that I have mentioned above. To make them come true, I am putting all my effort earning a PhD degree from Gallaudet University.