Some classes teach you material and others change your life for the better. The University of Connecticut’s American Sign Language Department is such a great representation of how a university does an amazing job at supporting, teaching, and representing this language that comes with a beautiful community of people.
American Sign Language (ASL) has been one of the most valuable things I’ve learned about during my college experience, and it wouldn’t be fair not to give credit to the amazing department behind it.
To anyone who reads this, crack your knuckles and get ready to come to UConn and sign!
my journey with asl before uconn
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was determined to make use of my time at home — I wanted to learn a new language. After watching videos on Spanish, French, Russian, and Tamil I saw a video called “The ASL Alphabet” and I quickly fell in love with the language. I went through about 20 of Dr. Bill Vicars’ ASL videos a day and four journals filled with ways to memorize each sign. My mom, who passed away recently, gave me two ASL books that she had used as an occupational therapist, and I remember being so happy to receive them.
From there, I was determined to sign with someone from the Deaf community, so I connected with a tutor named Kaitlin who was Deaf. The two of us instantly clicked and signed together via Zoom for six months where I learned so much. At our last session, Kaitlin gave me a sign name. A sign name is a distinctive sign which identifies someone and is given to them by someone in the Deaf community. My sign name is the letter “H” in the motion of the sign for swan, because my name, Hansika, means “baby swan” in Sanskrit.
During my sophomore year of high school, my twin sister Karishma and I cofounded the ASL Club which was the highlight of our teenage years.
From there, ASL and my mom inspired me to work towards a career as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) working in the NICU, and continue to use ASL in my daily life. My parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams and always supported me throughout my ASL journey.
bound day experience
When I was applying to colleges, I was looking for two things:
a) Does it have a speech pathology program?
b) Does it have an ASL program?
That’s when UConn instantly became my number one pick.
I talked with two very nice girls, Briana Ashton and Allison Shane, at the Speech Language Hearing Sciences table and then my eyes were captivated by the beautiful signing of the table next to them for the ASL Department table. I was initially nervous to approach the table, because I had never signed with someone at a college level, and this table was a big indicator if I’d commit to UConn. I was quickly greeted by Doctor Linda Pelletier, and I could feel the nerves disappear. She was beyond friendly. As I signed with her about my experience learning ASL and starting a club, I immediately sensed a feeling of trust and support from her.
After I signed with Linda she directed my attention to Melanie Miga who I signed with for thirty minutes. Like Linda, I felt the same sense of trust and support from Melanie who was an undergraduate student at the time. Learning about Melanie’s experience with UConn’s ASL department and where she started off before UConn reminded me so much of myself, and I was eager to follow in her footsteps. Signing with her on that day is a core memory for me.
As I was signing, I realized that my dad, who went with me to the tables, didn’t know any sign. I looked behind me and was pleasantly surprised when I saw my dad with an interpreter who was interpreting for my dad during my conversations with Linda and Melanie. I could see my dad smile and cry a bit. Not from sadness, but from the thought of “My daughter found her home.” I will never forget the kindness of that moment and how grateful I felt knowing my dad was included in the conversations at that table because of the interpreter.
Speaking of interpreters, I need to share that the interpreting faculty, from my perspective as a student, are amazing. I want to give a special shoutout to Nathan Fowler and Nick Dionne. In Colleen Shaw’s linguistics class (LING 3850), they do a phenomenal job, and you can tell that they are passionate about the course material!
If it weren’t for that Bound Day experience, who knows if I would’ve ended up at UConn.
The faculty
Now, the ASL department would simply not be complete without the amazing people behind the scenes.
Dr. Linda Pelletier
Dr. Pelletier is my advisor for my ASL major, and has many other roles in the department. She was the first person I signed with when I came to UConn, and she is such a great person. She truly does so much for the department and is so kind to everyone she meets. She has a lot of respect for the Deaf community and is a phenomenal representation of support. She has supported me a lot throughout my two years at UConn and always answers my 500+ questions regarding ASL with a smile on her face and a surplus of patience. I really admire her passion for what she does and how she treats everyone so kindly.
Mike Schlang
Professor Schlang is so kind and a great professor. I had him as my professor for ASL 5 and 6, and I was a little nervous going into this class because I thought, This is an advanced ASL class, what if I make a mistake? He fosters a very welcoming and kind environment so it has been such a joy to have him as my professor. He really cares about everyone, and in a lot of classes when we go into small groups to discuss different topics, he will pull up a chair to join each group and participate with us. He offers a lot of fresh perspectives and really makes us all think a lot regarding everything we sign about. I love that!
Dr. Kara Gournaris
Dr. G was my professor for LING 2850 and she taught a room of over 70 students every week. She was beyond kind to everyone and always welcomed the class with a warm smile. Her class was a great one for people who were new to ASL and wanted to learn more about the Deaf community. She invited great guest presenters including Dr. Diane Lillo-Martin, and other presenters from diverse backgrounds. Dr. G had so much patience to address so many people every week, and always found a way to make the class engaging and very informative. I truly enjoyed learning from her.
Joey Mattiace
I met Joey through Colleen Shaw and Eileen (my roommate), as Eileen was an instructional assistant for his class in the fall. Even though he wasn’t my professor, I vividly remember him joining Colleen’s class one day where he was signing with all of us and he wished us all good luck for our exam the following day. I got the opportunity to sign with him last semester and it was so nice to get to know him, and to sign with someone new! Every professor you will meet in this department has a genuine passion for ASL and I really wish I had the opportunity to take one of Joey’s classes in the past.
Now, there are many other amazing people involved in this department who I still have to meet, but I wanted to share my experience with people who I got to personally meet. Now, there is one person in particular who has truly made a positive impact in my life and by the heading below, you’re about to read all about her!
colleen shaw
I could write an entire article solely on Colleen Shaw. Colleen was my ASL 3 and 4 professor, and now my LING 3850 professor. Outside of being my professor, I consider her to be my second mom at UConn, and the person you go to when you need a hug, advice, or support. She is truly such a gem of a human being and one of the best parts about UConn. She is such a trailblazer in the Deaf community and is someone who puts her full heart in everything she does. Especially, teaching. When I think of the word “teacher,” Colleen shines. She is so empathetic, wise, and encouraging. It is so easy for professors to not make that connection with students and have that level of power, but she is the complete opposite. She always signs to her students “You’re the boss.” She allows her students to express their opinions and thoughts regarding the courses and encourages them to sign from the heart.
The photo above is of me, Colleen, Melanie, and Eileen.
I remember joining ASL 3 a day late during my freshman year, and I was sitting in the spinney chairs in Oak Hall, so nervous for the first class. Colleen walked into the room with confidence, and you could see her radiating energy shine across the room. She greeted me with a welcoming smile, and I remember I kept messing up my signing and apologizing and she continued to sign to me “Don’t be sorry, you’re learning,” and those exact signs made a 180-degree change on my mindset for the future.
She made every single class enjoyable and engaging. She never made anyone feel bad for making a mistake and instead encouraged us all to keep our chins up and do our best.
LING 3850 is a course offered at UConn, and this Spring semester was Colleen’s first time teaching it. She has made the material so engaging, informative, and enjoyable. We have debates, presentations, guest presenters, and more in the class and it’s amazing. I am always learning, and this has easily been my favorite class this semester. She has designed the course beautifully and teaches so passionately.
On a personal note, as I mentioned earlier, my mother recently passed away in March and the amount of support that Colleen has showed me and my family is something that is so dear to me. She always goes out of her way to ensure that I’m ok and comfortable. Colleen always checks in on me after every class and is always someone I look forward to signing with.
Even if you aren’t an ASL major, if you see that Colleen Shaw is teaching a class, I highly recommend taking it!
asl club
If fitting ASL classes into your schedule is too much, then I highly recommend joining UConn’s ASL Club. In the club, there are guest presenters, signing dinners, game nights, and activities to learn more about the Deaf community, and to practice your signing skills. Signing dinners are when people who have an interest in ASL go to a dining hall or the student union together and sign while enjoying a meal in each others company. Signing dinners are “voices off,” which means that you only sign and if you are still working on your sign, we use whiteboards to aid in communication. My roommate, Eileen, was in charge of these dinners and she put her whole heart into planning each and every one. I always loved meeting new people and being able to sign with them. It’s a very loving environment, that’s a fact!
I am incredibly thankful for my experience as the social media manager for the 2025 Fall semester with the ASL Club. I loved making Canva projects to represent the club and all the girls on the E-Board were so kind. Alissa H. and Kayla S. made an incredible president and vice president duo. The two of them fostered a welcoming club environment and are phenomenal leaders. The other members of the E-Board are such kind girls, and it was a privilege to work with them during my time as social media manager.
ASL living community
Using ASL isn’t just limited to the classroom! UConn has an ASL living community on the sixth floor of Watson Alumni Quad where people with a shared passion for ASL can sign together. My roommate is the ASL living community coordinator for the 2025-2026 school year. The two of us actually met in Colleen’s ASL 3 class and instantly clicked. From attending ASL Club meetings together, to late-night signing conversations, and making memories, the two of us are each other’s non-biological sisters.
I lived in the public health learning community during my freshman year where I connected with many amazing people who were also passionate about speech pathology, and I knew for my sophomore year I wanted to tap into the ASL side of the experience. Both learning communities truly helped me meet so many beautiful human beings and I am incredibly grateful for both experiences. If you want to immerse yourself in a culture, topic, or lifestyle, there are so many opportunities at UConn to do so. For me, that was in these learning and living communities.
endless opportunities to learn and grow
The Deaf community surrounding UConn is very strong and proud. There is something called Deaf Fest where vendors and organizations who are Deaf or hard of hearing come together to showcase their products and meet others. This is a very welcoming event which many people go to. I have heard nothing but good things about Deaf Fest.
Connecticut is home to the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in West Hartford. ASD was the first permanent school for the Deaf in America and the fact that UConn is only a forty-minute drive away is such a privilege! In my ASL 6 class, we had the opportunity to go to the school to sign and read with the kids. ASD also has a Homecoming every year which many UConn students attend.
The faculty at UConn always encourages the students to immerse themselves in the Deaf community when they can and they always provide so many resources to help students find that.
Students can become instructional assistants (IA) to provide additional classroom support. Melanie was my IA for Colleen’s ASL 3 and 4 class during my freshman year. The department also offers a trip to Puerto Rico where you can further immerse yourself in ASL. I also want to mention that they offer an alternative spring break which is a group trip to Gallaudet University and time in Washington D.C. My roommate was the coordinator for that trip this year and she did a phenomenal job with it.
UConn has many labs which are great for students to learn about the research aspect of the field. I am part of the HELLO Lab where we focus on how children who are Deaf or hard of hearing learn language and how early hearing experiences can shape their development. I have learned so much in this lab and it’s definitely opened my eyes to the world of research.
Being a double major in speech, language, and hearing sciences (SLHS) and ASL, I have been able to take my learnings from the classes from each major and continue to fuel that passion for SLP and ASL.
presentations
For ASL 4, you present in front of the class about a famous Deaf figure, book, or topic. I chose Nyle Dimarco and I remember that, as I signed, I felt as if all of my learnings came together in that moment. I felt so proud to sign and reflect on the nerves I had at the beginning of the year which turned into confidence and strength, which felt amazing. I remember finishing signing and wishing I made more slides to sign about! I also remember sending the video of me signing to my mom and she said “Hansi, can you teach me sign language?” Those words always come into my heart anytime I sign. She has probably met Thomas Gallaudet in Heaven, and he is teaching her ASL!
One month since the passing of my mom, I actually had a presentation for my LING 3850 class about French Sign Language (LSF). I am very proud of myself for persevering through that day and standing tall and signing. I signed not only for myself and the room, but I also signed for my mom.
We actually made a presentation on two countries with a partner, so my partner (Madison) presented about Sweden and their sign language. It was so nice to have that extra support at the front of the room.
The photos above are of my ASL 4 presentation and the LING 3850 presentation. Colleen does such a phenomenal job in supporting her students in her classes and she gave me so much strength that day to present. I will never forget that.
what’s in the future
Learning ASL at UConn has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I am so excited to continue to learn here and continue to achieve my dreams.
To the UConn ASL Department, I am so thankful for everything you guys do and I promise to make you guys, my dad, myself, and of course my mom, proud.
I have nothing but appreciation and love for everything you guys do.