My Life, My Teaching: It starts with education at Illinois State

Alumni: Lorinda A. Campo

Graduation Year:

'79

Occupation:

Behavior specialist, Hinsdale South High School, Darien, Illinois

Major/Minor:

Deaf Education

It Starts With Education

Teaching deaf children with significant behavioral disorders is challenging occupation. Lorinda Campo says that the love and support of her family enables her to work at a school with children and colleagues that she enjoys. "I am grateful to have children who were willing to share their lives and their mother with children who struggle in their lives," says Campo.

Was there a particular faculty member or class that helped shape your thinking on the role of educators?

While an undergraduate at Illinois State, Professor Pete Syler, a deaf man who was working on his doctorate at the time, taught sign language classes. One summer, Syler asked Campo to stay on campus to help him with sign language interpretation in one of his doctoral classes. At the time ISU did not provide interpreters for students and the position was unpaid. It was a valuable experience for Campo and helped her to further develop her sign language skills.

Another faculty member that was influential to Campo was Dr. JoAnn Stephens. She credits Stephens with giving her valuable career advice as a new teacher. Stephens, Campo says, told her to "trust herself."

How did you know that you were meant to be an educator?

Campo knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher. Campo recalls, "I remember going into my counselor and saying; 'I want to be a teacher for the deaf. Where do I go to do this?' And, he sat back in his chair and said, 'Well, Illinois State has one of the best programs in the country.' And, he said some other things that I don't remember even hearing, but I knew that is where I wanted to go."