Semaj Hibbert defying odds - After becoming deaf at six, St Catherine native has teaching degree

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) in Kingston earlier this week, Semaj Hibbert was in the middle of teaching her grade-five students.

Upon seeing the news, Hibbert flashes a captivating smile, completed her lessons, and then sat down to speak about her life, her work and her journey.

"This place feels like my home, and I feel really honoured to be giving back to to a place that helped me," the deaf teacher said through interpreter Stephen McFarlane, the campus manager,

"This school gave me a lot of strength and encouragement, and it warms my heart every time I see my students succeeding," she said.

Hibbert, who was born in Spanish Town, St Catherine said she lost her hearing at age six after contracting an ear infection.

"My mother spent a year searching for school until she came across CCCD, so I stayed home during that time, and my language began to slow down. But I picked up on sign language, and within a few years I had catch on fully."

"My family treated me well and my mother went to counselling sessions that allowed her attitude to be positive about the situation, but some of my friends didn't really understand the situation. The community didn't catch on so well, either. I used to board on campus but on some holidays I would go home, but I didn't always feel happy at home because a lot of people still didn't understand sign language, so a lot of my time would be spent here at school," she said.

Today, Hibbert holds a degree in deaf education from Harvest Bible College in Georgia, and is looking towards pursuing a masters in the field.

"This way I will be able to teach persons who can hear about the deaf culture," she said.

The 28-year-old teacher said she will continue to be an advocate for the deaf community. She is recommending that sign language be taught in schools.

"I would like to see just general public awareness campaign going around - from billboards to posters. Should I go to the police station to make a report alone, there would be an issue because the officer would not understand me, unless I write it down. Nurses and doctors should also be taught even basic sign-language skills, even small talks like 'good morning' and 'how can I help you?', and so on. It would make such a big difference," she said.

"Whenever I go to the stores, I still encounter a bit of problem because I have to be writing stuff down or text on my phone. I can't lip-read properly, so that poses a challenge sometimes. Sometimes when people realise that I am deaf, they continue to talk to me and it gets really frustrating," she added.

With those issues aside, Hibbert lives a normal and fun-filled life. She is married to her long-time partner, Dewayne, and is stepmother to a little girl who she describe as "the sweetest".

"My husband is deaf but my stepdaughter can hear, but she can 'sign' really well. I want to have children but not now, as I want to focus on my career more. There is so much out there for myself and other members of the deaf community. We are a very ambitious set, and sometimes persons don't really understand us, but we are very hard-working; and this institution has paved the way for a lot of us and is really responsible for our success," she said.