Alesia Howard
It just makes sense that Alesia Howard, who hails from Ohio, has incorporated the state's motto, "With God All Things Are Possible," into her quest for realizing her dreams.
Howard established a standard of excellence for herself early in her academic career. She was the first hard of hearing student to be inducted into the National Honor Society in a totally mainstreamed high school environment. Howard went on to graduate with a B.S. in psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2004 and enrolled at Gallaudet in the clinical psychology doctoral program. According to her, one of her greatest challenges has been the struggle that exists in not belonging 100 percent to the hearing or deaf worlds. But she said that both Gallaudet and RIT have given her the opportunity to experience the best of all worlds.
Although the demands of the clinical psychology doctoral program are intense and the challenges of juggling the rigorous schedule sometime seem insurmountable, Howard is convinced that once she completes her studies, she will be well prepared to meet her career goals of "counseling, advocating for deaf and hard of hearing people, research about minority groups, and some teaching."
When asked her feelings and opinions of the clinical psychology program, Howard said, "My professors know and believe that that I will succeed. It is a matter of staying determined, making sacrifices, and enduring five years of hard work"
When the going gets tough, Howard relies on God, family, colleagues, and professors for guidance. She added, "My mom is my role model. She has shown me by example what hard work and perseverance can do. She went back to get her master's in special education while working a full-time job and taking care of the family…she's amazing."
Asked if she had any advice for someone about to embark on a similar academic journey, Howard stated, "Your attitude and how you react to life and the world is your choice. Have a positive attitude and never step back. After all, the only person stopping you from achieving anything in life is yourself."
All in all, Alesia feels blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to experience the diverse, rich heritage of the deaf community that Gallaudet has to offer.
