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As Debbie was born deaf to her hearing parents and a young Deaf sister, her family did not understand what caused deafness with their two daughters. Maybe due to heredity her grandfather was adopted and might have deaf siblings or relations in unknown family generation.

Mainstreaming in public school without any support system like interpreter, Debbie spoke fluently and read lips thanks to her continued speech training during her school years. She enrolled in National Institute of Technology for the Deaf (NTID) in 1973 and had Deaf culture shock.

Nevertheless she picked up ASL very well to enjoy communicating and socializing among the deaf community. At the same time in 1978 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and received an engagement from her boyfriend, John whom she met on the NTID campus. In one year later Debbie and John got married and moved to Connecticut due to John’s job.

Although she obtained a job as bookkeeper at HARC in Hartford she was promoted to Payroll Supervisor. Until they adopted a son, Robert through a private agency Debbie had to resign from her job after ten years at HARC and took care of her son because of costly for child care.

When Debbie decided to enroll Robert her son in the kindergarten at Willie Ross School in Longmeadow, MA, she was asked to work as Teacher Aide as full time and continued working there for 8 years as only deaf employee at the school. Until she met her colleague who helped found a job at ASD she is currently working as Substitute/Clerk Aid since 2002.

Debbie prefers using ASL for better communication and social life. She was involved in Western Mass Chapter of DWU for two years while she participated as committee member for 2002 New England Regional Deaf Women conference in Holyoke, MA.

Since 1999 she is currently involved in DWC as previously treasurer and committee for 1999 New England Deaf Women Conference in Stamford, CT. In addition she enjoyed traveling to two National Deaf Women United conferences in past.

John and Debbie enjoy their marriage for 28 years. About how to make marriage successful, she said, “Don’t go to sleep with anger. If so you need to sit down and work out with your husband until you feel much better and ready for bed.”

As Debbie was asked why being a woman leader is important she replied that a woman can do anything so nothing prevents her becoming a leader. Also she said that “Don’t let any man dominate over you from getting to a higher level where you want to arrive upon”.

For deaf women who consider joining she likes to share a message that “Get involved, you are able to build up your self esteem stronger and better”. In response to a question about what word best describes her by being involved in the Deaf Women organizations, she was grateful that she became strong woman and simply said, “Assertive”.