Millie Brother Scholarship Partial Award 2016 Michael Brainerd

I would first like to thank CODA, Int. for recognizing the need and for providing financial support for families with hearing children of deaf adults. I was raised proudly, by Deaf parents, neither of whom finished high school. My brother and I didn’t realize that we were impoverished until much later, as our parents raised us to be strong, honest and hardworking. I had more responsibilities, as well as challenges, as a child while growing up but this instilled in me a strong work ethic and a motivation to succeed. We survived on my parents’ meager disability incomes and, early on, I developed a strong sense of responsibility, with a sense of empathy that has always made me care for others. We lived in a low-income neighborhood in unincorporated Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My parents divorced when I was in elementary school, and the drop in income forced my mother, brother and myself to move to a mobile home park in Sunrise, Florida. My mother was determined to provide a stable and loving home for us despite the circumstances in which we lived, and in spite of the odds, I thrived. I lived in that mobile home until college. Since my mother and father communicated mainly in sign language, I served as their guide in the hearing world. I interpreted in sign language for my parents when they went to the doctor; I communicated with the store clerk if anyone in the family needed new clothes or shoes; I negotiated the price of repairs with the mechanic whenever we had issues with the car. I loved the challenge, but it involved a strange role reversal. Usually people ignore children and talk to adults. But in our case, people would bend down and talk to me. I learned to communicate clearly and concisely. This experience taught me confidence, empathy, and patience, as well as helped build the necessary mental dexterity to bridge the hearing and Deaf communities. I worked all through high school and college to help support my family financially and, most importantly, to pay my own way through college. I was inspired by the idea that I might someday provide security for my family’s future. I was driven to succeed, and earned both an Associate Degree then a Bachelor's Degree, with high honors---the first person in my family to achieve any college degree. Enduring the challenges that we have faced up until now is what motivates me to never accept defeat with any future battles. That same motivation fueled my pursuit to further my education and to pursue a career in Physical Therapy, in which I could give back to my family, the community and others that might have come from a similar disadvantaged background. My background is not something I am ashamed of, nor do I regret anything about the way I was raised because those experiences that have molded me into the compassionate and appreciative man I am today. Finally, it is my goal to use the experiences of my childhood, and of being raised by determined and loving Deaf parents, to pursue a specialization within Physical Therapy to include new and innovative treatment options for people with additional needs, including Deaf people. Ghandi said something to the effect of “I believe we all can make a difference, and that

we must become the change we want to see in the world”, and that is my philosophy. Thank you for considering my application and potentially helping me achieve my dream in helping others.