CDMS Student Becomes Member of the Board of Directors at Durham Deaf Services
March 25, 2020
From placement student to volunteer to Board of Directors member, one FSSH student has been making an impact in her community. Fourth-year Communication and Digital Media Studies student Aly Beach was recently brought on as a member of the Board of Directors at Durham Deaf Services.
Aly first learned of Durham Deaf Services several years ago when she was studying Journalism at Durham College. She wrote a story on their organization and their impact on the community which led to her completing her Practicum placement with them. Following her placement, Aly decided to stay on as a volunteer. Soon after, a Board Member position opened up. “I had my interview and the rest is history,” says Aly.
Aly credits her placement experience as having helped her secure a position on the Board. “At first, the process to get into the practicum class seemed overwhelming, but once I sat down and stopped overthinking the application, it ended up being an insightful activity,” says Aly. “The practicum team is amazing. I still try to keep in touch with them when possible. Practicum Coordinator Dan Walters has been a great reference for me when applying for various positions, including my Board of Directors Position at DDS.”
After graduation, Aly will continue her work with Durham Deaf Services, as well serve as a member of the Accessibility Committee of Durham Region in the hopes that this experience will lead to a job doing communications related to accessibility.
“I am so incredibly lucky and grateful I had such amazing professors and classmates who really helped me and supported me during my time here.”