The slide shows the spotlight screen with text showing Deaf Ecosystem Spotlight, A conversation with Ashley Pappineau, DeafLEAD is on the right. On the left, Ashely is working at a booth handed the paper to consumers. A white woman with brown hair is wearing a ponytail. She is wearing a pink shirt. The next slide shows a white woman on the left side is wearing a black short sleeve shirt with brown and ombre pink. A black woman is on the left side is sitting next to a white woman. A black woman is wearing blue collar shirt and has long braids. The transcript is below: Sonya: Hello, I am here with Ashley. Tell me about yourself. Ashley: My name is Ashley Pappineau. I am a social worker, victim advocate, and community educator at DeafLEAD located in Columbia, MO. I was born and raised in New York. I worked and graduated from Gallaudet. I moved to reside in Missouri and currently work at DeafLead. Throughout my childhood and growing up I am a trauma survivor. I’ve always wanted to give back to the community to prevent trauma and I don’t want people to experience the same experience that I have been through but to give back to the community is important to me. Sonya: What are the challenges you faced? Ashley: That’s a good question, DeafLead is a victim service organization in which I serve victims of violence, domestic violence victims, sexual violence, and a variety of crimes. Of course in that field, I see a lot of trauma within the community. There is one challenge that I face in my job as a social worker and I am involved in the community with clients to provide advocacy such as medical, legal, and various appointments. Sometimes, I pop up to provide my clients advocacy and they view me with my master’s degree and deafness. But they look at my deafness first like how they can communicate or approach which causes them to be in shock or doubt my ability as a social worker. They have questioned me if I am a social worker but you are deaf you can’t be a social worker. I get that more than a few times in my experience when I go out in the community. That’s one of the challenges you know you are trying to get exposed to the hearing community to let them know that deaf people are capable of being in any field. Sonya: Right! Ashley: Just know that Deaf people can be in any field! Sonya: I agree! Ashley: Any field! Deaf people can do anything! They can be in the medical field, they can be involved in STEM, and Deaf people can be involved but there is no limit. We should not be limited to playing small like working in a deaf school, I understand if you love to work in a deaf school that’s fine. Some people feel that’s their only limit or their only option. No, there are more options out there. You feel that you need to be called something then pursue it. Sonya: Right! You are right! You can do anything, don’t let that stop you from what you love or your passion to pursue your dreams. Don’t let that stop you! You are right! Ashley: You never know that you can be the person to change the system. You can be the first person to be in that field. They will realize how they can accommodate you and you might lead more deaf people in that field. Sonya: Right, I agree with you! I have one last question: What is your advice for the Deaf and hard of hearing community out there? Ashley: I think this is something really important to me I’ve been talking to a lot of people about this. I have something in my office. I love art and different art hung in my office. There is one in my office that says “Normalize change your opinion when presenting new information.” I feel that quote is important to explain to people that we often in life may have different groups of people that tend to hang out with the same group of people that provide great support. Sometimes it’s nice to take the opportunity to step back and meet new people or individuals or groups of people. Sometimes we meet a new person however my values and their values conflict but when you get to know the person and talk with them it changes your view of the world, is that right? Sonya: Right! Ashley: Sharing your experience, resources, or information. For a long time, I felt alone with the experience until you talked with a person who had the same experience as you, and then you shared resources or exchanged resources. The deaf community needs to share the information because we cannot receive any information through audio. Hearing communities easily get information through audio but we don’t have that. By getting out of your comfort zone that will make a difference. Sonya: I love how you respond to those questions. I understand where you are coming from because I am sure that other deaf people have the same experience and easily connect and learn more about that person so yeah. Thank you! Ashley: I am happy for giving me this opportunity!