Rachel kolb

Ph.D. Student in English Literature

Rachel Kolb is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in English literature at Emory University. Her research focuses on cultural ideas and assumptions about deafness, sound and silence, and hearing in literature. Before attending Emory, she studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar for two years. She has had several essays published in the New York Times and the Atlantic. She also gave a TEDx talk at Stanford, her alma matter, in 2013. After receiving her degree, she hopes to become a professor and writer.

Rachel is from Albuquerque, where she attended the New Mexico School for the Deaf through kindergarten. Since first grade, she has been mainstreamed but she has always used ASL interpreters in class and has had access to Deaf social opportunities on the side.

Rachel believes that being bilingual in ASL and English is what gave her the strong language foundation she needed to become successful. Her parents prioritized signing with her throughout her upbringing and made sure she had access to Deaf resources and peers. This inclusive access to language made her unafraid to go out into the world and to learn more about whatever struck her curiosity. Her parents’ commitment to her comprehension and inclusion has made them very close. She adds, “My parents didn’t believe that oral communication alone would be sufficient to give me a strong language foundation--if they could give me access to all worlds and all communication options, why not? There are still too many deaf children in this world with insufficient access to language.”

Being bilingual has contributed to Rachel’s love of language and literature, giving her a new perspective on the world. As she puts it, “I belong to both the Deaf and the hearing worlds. I have a mix of lovely hearing friends and Deaf friends. I'm glad I can be part of both worlds.”

Rachel tells parents to embrace ASL and learn about its rich opportunities for communication, regardless of other decisions related to speech and hearing. “The more opportunities for your child to accessible communication,” she says, “the better. Find a strong network of other parents and educators--both hearing and Deaf--to support you along your journey.”