Tarneit’s Julie Graham is determined not to let her students become another statistic.
As a teacher at the Victorian College for the Deaf, Ms Graham wants to see her students reach the same heights as their hearing peers but knows it won’t be an easy task.
To ensure she is doing everything she can to help her students, she recently completed a Masters degree in Special Education at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children.
She was one of 24 people to graduate from the college, helping to alleviate a critical shortage of teachers for children with hearing loss.
“Worldwide, there is a struggle with deaf education and making sure students with hearing loss are on par with their hearing peers,” Ms Graham said.
“I know I have to challenge my students not to become another statistic and that makes this one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had.”
Ms Graham wears hearing aids in both ears after being born with hearing loss.
Her family has no history of hearing problems but hers was affected when her mum contracted rubella 10 weeks into pregnancy.
Ms Graham said working at the Victorian College for the Deaf helped her understand the emotional roller coaster facing families.
“I grew up in a hearing environment and went to a mainstream school,” she said. “Before I started this job the only access I had to a deaf person was my cousin, whose mum got rubella.
“Starting here was like finding where I belong in a community where I feel I fit.”
