By Zamayra Colón De Jesús
Meet Kelvin, a 21-year-old special soul currently studying Kinesiology at the University of Puerto Rico, at Mayagüez. He may look like your average college guy, but Kelvin is actually filled with many surprises, some of them worthy of inspiration.
Aside from being a busy college student, Kelvin is also the president of the Asociación Universitaria de Lenguaje de Señas (AULS). The association’s purpose is to build a bridge between sound and silence. In other words, they want to unite the hearing community with those who are deaf. Even though Kelvin himself didn’t initiate the association, he was the perfect candidate for the position, since he fully understands the meaning behind what it means to be a “bridge” within the hearing and deaf communities. He is what it is known as CODA which stands for “children of deaf adults.” Because both of his parents are deaf, Kelvin’s first language is sign language. He started using sign gestures since he was two years old, and afterwards learned Spanish and English. It may seem hard to some, but he explains it’s fairly easy, since all of his family members and school teachers helped him with the transition. As he grew up, Kelvin understood the struggle his parents faced and helped any way he could. Last year, he found the association, AULS, and immediately wanted to become part of it. For him, it was necessary to spread to others the importance of sign language. As hard as it is to be president, he is committed to spread this message, not only for his parents, but to others who are deaf as well. To him, sign language is something very beautiful, and it helped him become the lively person he is today. When asked what his favorite sign was, he immediately responded that it was “I love you,” because it’s the most widely known.
One may think that by being a fulltime college student, president of AULS, and also also a directive member of the Adapted Physical Education Association, Kelvin already has his schedule filled, but that’s not the case exactly. Since both of his parents are deaf, he still helps at home; translating for them when needed, as well as taking care of his little brother who’s autistic, and helping his grandparents. Kelvin truly loves to help others and what truly makes him happy is seeing others happy. He loves it so much that, as a little kid, he dreamed of becoming a comedian and even learned some magic tricks.
As mentioned before, Kelvin lives a very busy life, but he’s very happy with what he’s doing; for he still has some free time in which he practices some sports and his magic tricks. Kelvin’s dream is to have a Ph.D. in Speech Pathology and Language, as well as having a certificate on Special Education, mainly focused on Autism. Aside from working, Kelvin says he would love to help the special community and be an interpreter for deaf people. In summary, Kelvin is truly an inspiration as a person.