Riccardo Ferracuti
Riccardo Ferracuti, a deaf student from Rome, Italy, is a second-year student in Gallaudet's master's of arts in interpretation program and expects to graduate next year.
He grew up attending deaf schools in various cities in Italy, where the sub-par skills in Italian Sign Language of many of his teachers often left him unhappy with the level of education he was receiving.
Despite his disappointment, Ferracuti graduated from high school. He wasn't motivated to continue his education, though, which often left him feeling depressed and directionless. He eventually pursued a bachelor's degree in sociology, then degrees in linguistics and philosophy. Ferracuti struggled through those programs-not so much with the subject matter but with the quality of teaching-but managed to persevere and complete his studies.
His negative views of education changed when he was accepted into the master's of interpretation program at Gallaudet.
During his first semester, Ferracuti studied in the English Language International program to learn English, before beginning courses in the master's program. He was impressed with his professors' teaching styles and their high level of knowledge and ASL skills.
Ferracuti still struggles with the English language, though he works hard and has made tremendous progress. He considers the Interpretation Department his second home and his colleagues his family because of the support they provide each other.
