Corpuz, Carlitos Jeric C.

BA in Communication

Social Psychology
3:30 5:00pm

Prof. Moises
September 13, 2016

The Inspirational Story of Ara Kristina Arce

Search for Ana Kristina Arce on YouTube and youll find video upon video of
commencement speeches. Without a sound, she is able to communicate passion
and hope in her speeches.
Deaf since she was born, Anas hearing disability didnt stop her from unstoppable
yearning to learn. She was awarded class valedictorian at the Philippine School for
the Deaf and her success in the academe went on from there.
In 2009, she graduated magna cum laude from the De La Salle College of Saint
Benilde (CSB) with a degree in Applied Deaf studies. Her focus was on the
multimedia arts and she went on to become a graphic artist at her alma mater, CSB.
Blazing the trail, she continued on to study abroad to pursue a Masters Degree. She
earned her MA in Deaf Studies from the Gallaudet University, Washington D.C., one
of the worlds most prominent universities in the field of deaf studies. She is the first
Filipino to be sent to Gallaudet University with a World Deaf Leadership Scholarship.
Why all the studying? Ana says she wants to give back. On the New Internationalist
Blog she said:
I hope to not only help them (the deaf) go through college, but also make them
good researchers, and active advocates in their respective communities. In my
advocacy, Im looking at opportunities to bring the needs of the Deaf into the
consciousness of society, especially the hearing people. I aim to help integrate the
Deaf and the hearing together in unity, bridge the communication gap, increase
awareness of the Deaf culture, and raise the respect for the natural sign language of
the Filipino Deaf the Filipino Sign Language.