Yarmouth, Maine, April 9, 2025: North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) sophomore Kenlie Nadeau wanted to switch her language tract from Latin to American Sign Language (ASL) this year. All she needed was access to an online course, permission, and an independent study advisor. She asked NYA’s Upper School Dean of Students and history teacher, Lynn Sullivan. Sullivan, it turns out, was also interested in learning ASL. So, Nadeau also got a study partner. The two are taking the course together in a unique scenario where a teacher becomes a student.

After the Lewiston Shooting in October 2023, Nadeau, who is from Sabattus, learned that members of the Deaf community were at Schemengees Bar & Grille for a cornhole league. Four were killed and five were injured. Because they could not hear, they could not pick up auditory cues or identify the immediate danger during the shooting. “It’s sad to think about how terrified those people must’ve been, not knowing what’s going on,” she said. It was also difficult for member of the Deaf community to glean details about the tragedy, especially if their friends and loved ones were among the injured or deceased. This prompted her to investigate learning ASL.

Sullivan had always wanted to learn ASL. “I remember being in line at the Hannaford’s, and the woman in front of me was trying to communicate with the cashier. I wish I could’ve helped,” she explained.Sullivan and Nadeau are taking a two-year course through the ASL Virtual Academy. They meet twice a week in Sullivan’s office to take the online course. In addition to the online class, they are assigned an instructor who they can work with. “She’ll be fluent before I will,” said Sullivan. “She has to take the test at the end of each week and work with the instructor, and I don’t.”

Nadeau said it’s not strange taking a class with one of her teachers, just different. She said they help each other out, and it’s great to have another person to practice with. “It’s been a bonding experience,” she said. Sullivan believes it’s valuable for students to see that teachers can be vulnerable and can struggle with new concepts. Overall, both feel the rewards of taking the course and doing it together. “It feels more like an activity than a class,” said Nadeau. “There are definitely hard parts, but once you get it, it feels really good.”

In addition to the signing, they’ve learned a lot about the Deaf culture. Concepts include “dinner table syndrome,” where Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing people are left out of the conversation during social gatherings and that not all Deaf people read lips. They’ve recognized the importance of maintaining eye contact and using facial expressions that match what they are signing. Also, sign language is different in each country.

Nadeau hopes she can use her ASL skills as a volunteer in the Deaf community in the Lewiston area in the future.