This story was originally published in the first issue of The Bear Truth (October 11, 2019).

The Bear Truth is committed to highlighting the individuals who make up our student body. We invite you to read about a few of the great people who make up the Bear Nation.

Jenna Krausman, a senior here at WSHS, is now an ASL level 4 student. She was inspired to join such a strong community because of a friend she had met in middle school who happened to be deaf. She explained, “We were both trying out for the same sport and I couldn’t communicate to her at all. She was very kind and patient with me while I tried to figure out how to say anything to her.” Jenna describes her experience being a part of the ASL family as “life changing”. Although it is hard to pick, her favorite part about being in such a welcoming group is the people she’s surrounded with. She describes them as encouraging and kind and have taught her everything she knows. She believes that ASL is so much more than any ordinary language and that everybody has a place they can call home. Jenna plans to take everything she has experienced with her as she grows up and enters the world and will never forget what she’s learned for the rest of her life.