Welcome to my Adventure
Life is either a great adventure, or nothing.- Helen Keller
About Me:
My name is Stacey Webb. Born and raised in Vista, a suburb in Southern, California with a wonderful family. When I was 14 years old, I took my first American Sign Language course and it has forever enriched my life. My personal, educational and professional journey has been one filled with the love for the Deaf community, Deaf Culture and communication access for all people. After completing my Bachelors Degree, I headed to the East Coast and got a taste for work in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area. Working as a certified American Sign Language/English Interpreter is a wonderful career and us interpreters who have worked throughout DC, MD and VA we know there is nothing like it. Due to some personal reasons, I relocated to the South and have made myself at home in Nashville, TN. It is a vibrant city, with great food and culture.
From the West Coast to the East Coast, and now the South- I have come to learn "home" is not the house you live in or the city in which you grew up. Home is simply a feeling of comfort and peace with people whom you surround yourself with. Home also is a sense of familiarity, that is filled with memories and experiences that come rushing back when you go back to visit, wherever that may be. I feel at home in Vista; I feel at home at my grandmother's house; I feel at home in the Deaf Studies building at California State University Northridge; I feel at home, in Annapolis, Maryland; and, I feel at home on the lawn of the mall in Washington DC.; And of course, now Nashville carries a sense of home.
Four years ago I made a life changing decision to make a new home in Edinburgh, Scotland. With my undergrad in Deaf Studies: Communication Services and Sciences, my recently completed Masters in Education, emphasizing in Adult Education and Training, I moved to enter a PhD programme at Heriot-Watt University. People often asked me, why study at Heriot-Watt? Why not go back to DC and attend Gallaudet University? Others have reminded me that it may be easier to find a funded programme in the United States with much less hassle and while I can't say I never pondered their proposals, I down deep knew that this was the right decision for me. When I was at California State University Northridge, Dr. Jordan Eickman, a University of Bristol alumnus, informed me about the University of Bristol's doctoral programme. To date, Dr. Eickman has been one of the most influential professors I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His intellect, ability to communicate to his students, deep knowledge, passion and sincere desire to see students succeed is inspirational. Not only do I respect him as an educator, I respect him as a human being. Dr. Eickman is well traveled and his worldwide adventures sparked a passion in me to travel internationally that has contributed so much to my life. I look forward to following in Dr. Eickman’s footsteps by successfully researching and earning my doctorate degree and one day working as a full-time professor within a university ,educating future leaders within my field. When I first began this journey many of you know that University of Bristol is where my heart was set. However, at the time I didn't realize that Bristol was just the initial path that would lead me on a road to much more exciting things. As I wrote my proposal for the University of Bristol, I was citing Jemina Napier's work left and right. It just so happens that Professor Napier herself had moved back to the UK after being in Australia for 14 or 15 years. She agreed to supervise me and has since guided me through my PhD, has become a confidant and a friend and in the same words that I wrote when I first began this blog- working with Jemina Napier is...well.. pretty stinkin awesome!!!
In addition to the PhD, I was offered full time employment with Heriot-Watt in 2015. My 3 year residence to conduct a PhD transitioned into my full-time, permanent residence-where I am now training interpreters to become British Sign Language interpreters- and hopefully I am making a positive difference in the lives of the students, the deaf communities they will work with, the wider profession of interpreting and of course those who are my colleagues and friends. The past four years have been no easy feet- and while the blog has shared many adventures of my life here in Scotland, the experiences of the PhD, and work life, it also turned to become a place where I could simply lay my heart out on the page- I have liked the vulnerability of it, the public space to tell my stories, and appreciate all of the support I have received from friends, family, colleagues, and strangers.
From the West Coast to the East Coast, and now the South- I have come to learn "home" is not the house you live in or the city in which you grew up. Home is simply a feeling of comfort and peace with people whom you surround yourself with. Home also is a sense of familiarity, that is filled with memories and experiences that come rushing back when you go back to visit, wherever that may be. I feel at home in Vista; I feel at home at my grandmother's house; I feel at home in the Deaf Studies building at California State University Northridge; I feel at home, in Annapolis, Maryland; and, I feel at home on the lawn of the mall in Washington DC.; And of course, now Nashville carries a sense of home.
Four years ago I made a life changing decision to make a new home in Edinburgh, Scotland. With my undergrad in Deaf Studies: Communication Services and Sciences, my recently completed Masters in Education, emphasizing in Adult Education and Training, I moved to enter a PhD programme at Heriot-Watt University. People often asked me, why study at Heriot-Watt? Why not go back to DC and attend Gallaudet University? Others have reminded me that it may be easier to find a funded programme in the United States with much less hassle and while I can't say I never pondered their proposals, I down deep knew that this was the right decision for me. When I was at California State University Northridge, Dr. Jordan Eickman, a University of Bristol alumnus, informed me about the University of Bristol's doctoral programme. To date, Dr. Eickman has been one of the most influential professors I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His intellect, ability to communicate to his students, deep knowledge, passion and sincere desire to see students succeed is inspirational. Not only do I respect him as an educator, I respect him as a human being. Dr. Eickman is well traveled and his worldwide adventures sparked a passion in me to travel internationally that has contributed so much to my life. I look forward to following in Dr. Eickman’s footsteps by successfully researching and earning my doctorate degree and one day working as a full-time professor within a university ,educating future leaders within my field. When I first began this journey many of you know that University of Bristol is where my heart was set. However, at the time I didn't realize that Bristol was just the initial path that would lead me on a road to much more exciting things. As I wrote my proposal for the University of Bristol, I was citing Jemina Napier's work left and right. It just so happens that Professor Napier herself had moved back to the UK after being in Australia for 14 or 15 years. She agreed to supervise me and has since guided me through my PhD, has become a confidant and a friend and in the same words that I wrote when I first began this blog- working with Jemina Napier is...well.. pretty stinkin awesome!!!
In addition to the PhD, I was offered full time employment with Heriot-Watt in 2015. My 3 year residence to conduct a PhD transitioned into my full-time, permanent residence-where I am now training interpreters to become British Sign Language interpreters- and hopefully I am making a positive difference in the lives of the students, the deaf communities they will work with, the wider profession of interpreting and of course those who are my colleagues and friends. The past four years have been no easy feet- and while the blog has shared many adventures of my life here in Scotland, the experiences of the PhD, and work life, it also turned to become a place where I could simply lay my heart out on the page- I have liked the vulnerability of it, the public space to tell my stories, and appreciate all of the support I have received from friends, family, colleagues, and strangers.