I’M RUNNING THE 2023 NYC MARATHON FOR
P.S. 347, THE ASL & ENGLISH LOWER SCHOOL!
P.S. 347 is an official charity partner for the TCS NYC 2023 Marathon.
I’m raising $2,950 for the school. Please help me meet my goal!
TRISHA DAWKINS
ASL Interpreter, Baltimore County Public Schools
Born and raised in the Bronx, Trisha graduated from high school in 1999 with a desire to pursue a career in American Sign Language. She discovered her love for ASL when she took a class being offered at JHS 47 (nka PS 47). She didn’t know it at the time, but this class would not only spur her career path but also provide her the ability to give back to the school thatsparked her love for American Sign Language. Trisha iscurrently in her 16th year working as an Educational Interpreter for Baltimore County Public Schools. She still tells the story of learning ASL at JHS 47 and how having that strong foundation provided her success in her schooling and employment.
Trisha has also become caretaker for her mother who was diagnosed with Chronic Heart Failure and had to receive open heart surgery in the summer of 2022. The surgery took over six hours but gave her mom a new lease on life. The recovery was hard and there were times the doctors thought she wouldn’t make it, but she did! The surgery installed a device called a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) which aids the heart in functioning properly. Grateful that her mom ultimately pulled through, Trisha has always credited running as her “therapy” in helping her get through some of the roughest, toughest, and darkest times that she faced this past summer. This is why running the TCS NYC Marathon is so important. Trisha’s goal isto spread awareness of Chronic Heart Failure and the LVAD community to others in hopes that they will get the same improved quality of life that her mother received. She is excited to be supporting the school that first helped her, so they maycontinue to provide necessary resources to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students that they service on a day-to-day basis.
The PS347 mission is to provide a bilingual education that values American Sign Language and Deaf culture and to help bridge the Deaf and hearing communities in New York City.
P.S. 347, The American Sign Language & English Lower School, is a PreK-to-8 public school in NYC serving d/Deaf, hard-of-hearing (D/HOH), CODA (children of deaf adults), and hearing students. We are a non-zoned mainstream school centrally located in Manhattan.
Our families come from all over NYC to be a part of this special place - a place where hearing differences are the norm, and everyone feels like they truly belong. We are on a quest to become the most inclusive school for the Deaf community, and strive to create a new generation of hearing allies and advocates.
P.S. 347 is able to do all we do thanks solely to the resourcefulness and dedication of our staff, parents, and our community. We work hard for every penny we raise, and we rely on grants and the generosity of those who are able to contribute. Thank you for your support!
P.S. 347 gives its students strong academic support and many amazing opportunities, from garden residencies to theater collaborations. But these don’t come easy. While many other public schools in our district are able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, the P.S. 347 community cannot. The unfortunate reality is that the majority of our families live in poverty. Many of our students experience daily food insecurity and live in the shelter system. Thus our school does more than just provide an education; we help fulfill basic needs so that these children can simply make it to school everyday.
