Matthew Woyak

What are you known for here at RIT?
I guess I am known for being an artist, as well as a very kind-natured person who loves to help others. I was involved with theatre and dance team for performance skills...I’ve been a student leader in the NTID community for several years, representing three NTID student organizations: Hispanic Deaf Club, Caribbean Deaf Club, and NTID Student Congress. I also worked in two summer programs with Student Life Team for Explore Your Future (EYF) with high school students and Summer Vestibule Program (SVP) with NTID freshmen.

What have been your biggest accomplishments this year?
For my biggest accomplishment within NTID Student Congress (NSC), we worked on encouraging faculty and student collaboration at NTID. NSC started a new communication issue project called “I Got Busted.” We would give out the “I Got Busted” buttons to acknowledge and congratulate RIT faculty/staff, who are ‘caught’ using American Sign language in public. This project is a just a beginning, but one of the biggest hurdles was getting this off the ground. Hopefully, future generations will be able to continue building a strong student-faculty foundation for NTID.

Another accomplishment I’ve been proud of is the great success of two events: Pulse Study Hour (an event held during Week 10 every quarter) and Super Pulse Happy Hour (held during the Imagine RIT Festival). Pulse Study Hour supports students and faculty/staff to tutor and study together for academic success during finals week. Super Pulse Happy Hour celebrates the unity of the NTID and RIT community. I acclaim NTID Departments, Clubs and Greek organizations [for working hard] to make NTID a better place for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.

Personally, my biggest accomplishment would have to be finally graduating. It has been hard with the many hats I have had over the years: full-time student, single mother, student leader, and actress, just to name a few.

How did you decide on your multidisciplinary degree? Is that what you were initially planning to go to college for?

I had a goal to study and earn a degree for art when I came to RIT. I studied Art and Computer Design for two years until I got accepted into the Film and Animation program for one year. During that time, I needed extra financial support to manage my academic and personal bills. I requested for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) support and got denied unless I changed my art major to a non-art major [in order to “guarantee” a job offer after graduation].

I had to make a tough choice to cont inue my education and take care of my daughter. I changed my major and got the financial support to stay in school until I graduate. Art is still my natural talent and I will figure out how to achieve that goal someday.

How do you balance the work of being a student with the duties of motherhood?
Oftentimes, people come to me and ask, “How can you handle all of this?” I normally would respond “It is a learning experience” or “Just keep myself busy to get through tough times.” [The real answer is that I have developed strategies to overcome challenges, and I have] learned to accept and view things differently. If my daughter becomes sick and I have to rush for class or meeting in an hour, what choice should I make? How much effort should I try depending on my priorities and needs? More importantly, I truly appreciate wonderful support and service that Margaret’s House provides for my daughter while I attend classes and meetings, or when I do errands during the day.

Have you ever faced any discrimination? If so, how did you deal with it?
I experienced some racial discrimination while growing up because I am Deaf and was raised in a family with a strong diversity background... [But an especially difficult time was when] I joined the Global Reach Out (GRO) program to advocate international Deaf issues and traveled to India for one month last summer. Being a Deaf and American female in a conservative country is not exactly a paradise. For example, an Indian man expected me to get off my seat for him on the train. Or being stared at in the middle of the street when I used ASL sign language. It felt like the Indian government established better rights for religious cows than Deaf people. The GRO trip experience made me appreciate my American life and Deaf culture, and helped me become a more cultivated person.

Do you have any advice for other students?
College can provide self-discipline. The more you become involved or try new things that RIT offers, the more you will discover how much you learn about yourself and from your peers. If you learn to shape yourself and acknowledge things that need to change, don’t just talk about it. Start doing it...Most importantly, when you face a conflict or challenge, please remember it is a test of your self-discipline to figure out how to overcome it in a positive way.