“Knowing a second language is very important to me because it has helped me understand the world from a completely different perspective. I have had many college golf teammates in the past who are from all over the world who spoke multiple languages,” said Hoffman. “Sometimes they would struggle to think of the right word they wanted to use, or to phrase the word the correct way. I now completely understand what they are going through because using multiple languages can be very difficult.”
Now three years after Hoffman chose to learn ASL, she looks back at all the doors and conversations it has opened beyond signing with her teacher as an undergrad. Since the day she started learning the language, Hoffman has made friends who continue to educate her on the struggles the hearing impaired have overcome.
“Our friendship means so much to me,” said Tatum Wiechman, Hoffman’s friend from University of Texas whose first language is ASL. “We hit it off the moment we were assigned to do a project together in class and we’ve stuck together since then. We’ve supported each other through everything, and I am just so proud of Emilee for becoming a professional golfer. I am also glad that Emilee decided to utilize her platform to highlight Deaf Awareness Week because she could have easily not done anything. Instead, she did the harder thing and asked to collaborate together on how we are promoting Deaf Awareness Week on our social media accounts.”
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