Photo credit: Jodi MezzanotteDr. Regan Thibodeau shared her story with students at Village Elementary School on Friday, May 13.
Dr. Thibodeau is a professor of American Sign Language (ASL) and deaf culture at USM. She is also a freelance deaf interpreter and advocate for policies that create a bridge between the deaf and hearing community.
She has become widely recognized in Maine during the pandemic as one of the interpreters of Dr. Nirav D. Shah of the Maine CDC.
In 2019, Regan was the first deaf person in Maine to earn a doctorate degree (PhD). She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of interpreters and using education to improve the lives of deaf people. During her presentation, Dr. Thibodeau helped Village students see that differences don’t have to be deficits.
Her message connects directly to the themes explored in the school’s shared reading of Hidden Figures, the untold story of the Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race.
The event was collaboratively produced by Alison Penley, a teacher leader at Village, and Eliza Keigsberg of Aspire Gorham.