Deaf Mentor Biographies

Northwest Region

Michele Rolewitz 

Michele was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. She graduated from the North Dakota School for the Deaf and attended the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. She has worked for North Dakota State University for the past 41 years as a Financial Aid and Scholarship Specialist. Michele was born deaf, weighing 4 pounds 7 ounces, as she was two months premature. Michele was taught ASL from birth, as her grandparents were both Deaf, and their children use ASL.

Michele has been a Deaf Mentor since November 2013. She became a mentor because she enjoys teaching ASL to families with Deaf children. She has taught ASL at university, secondary and community education levels. Michele feels it is very important for families to have full communication with ASL. It makes her very happy to see Deaf children communicating with their family and friends in ASL.

Michele has three daughters who have blessed her with 12 grandchildren. She also has three cats. She enjoys gardening, canning, traveling, reading and spending time with her family. Michele has a knack for making others smile and bringing positivity to any situation.
 

Northeast Region

Mandy Lawyer 

Mandy was born and raised in Biwabik, Minnesota. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Mandy was born deaf, but it went undetected until she was two years old. When she was two-and-a-half, a teacher came to her family’s home and taught them sign language. She uses bimodal communication by using ASL and spoken English at home.

Mandy has worked continuously as a Deaf Mentor since 2009. Mandy became a mentor because she felt the need to pay it forward due to her family’s experience of having a teacher come to their home and teach them ASL. When Mandy was growing up, she loved attending large social events set up for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. These events gave her a space in which she could belong and use the ASL she was given. Mandy also works for St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services. Mandy loves to read and is a huge fan of Dean Koontz and Stephen King. She loves cats! Mandy has one hearing son, and she uses ASL with him.
 

East/West Central Region

Stephanie Nutt 

Stephanie is from Brainerd, Minnesota. She attended Gallaudet University, majoring in Communication Studies. She works as a direct support professional at a group home with adult foster clients. Stephanie became deaf at the age of two from spinal meningitis. She learned ASL with other deaf children and interpreters after being enrolled in preschool. Stephanie was mainstreamed growing up, and attending Gallaudet gave her a rich, life-changing experience as well as improved her ASL. She uses bimodal communication -- ASL and spoken English.

Stephanie became a Deaf Mentor in August of 2018. Having grown up as the only deaf person in her family, she recognizes the need and impact for ASL and wants to help deaf children have access to ASL. Stephanie loves to paint and loves dogs tremendously; she hopes to have a dog in the future. In 2017, Stephanie traveled to Costa Rica and rode on one of the top 10 ziplines in the world!

South Region

Amanda Bavlnka 

Amanda was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Psychology from Winona State University. Amanda was born deaf, but her parents did not discover this until she was 10 months old. Her parents took sign language classes with her, and she uses ASL as her main mode of communication.

Amanda became a Deaf Mentor in April of 2015. She decided to become a mentor because she wants to help parents communicate with their Deaf children and wants to help families include their deaf children in their everyday lives instead of feeling left out. Amanda also works as a special education program assistant and a Deafblind intervener. Amanda’s favorite hobby is reading. She also loves going camping and spending time with her daughter.
 

Metro Region

Jackie Correa-Alley 

Jackie was proudly born in Puerto Rico and raised in Massachusetts. She graduated from New York School for the Deaf, known as Fanwood, and she received a degree in Data Entry and Business Clerk from Saint Paul College. While Jackie is the only Deaf person in her immediate family, she has an aunt and other cousins who are Deaf. Her aunt gave her access to ASL as a child, which she expanded on in preschool. In addition to knowing ASL and English, Jackie is fluent in Spanish, making her trilingual!

Jackie has been a Deaf Mentor since December 2015. She decided to become a Deaf Mentor because she had the desire to be a Hispanic role model for Hispanic Deaf children. She understands the value of learning the language of the culture she was born in, giving her access to other native Spanish speakers. But when adding deafness to the many layers of communication, she also sees the need for parents and their children to have access to ASL. 

Jackie has been and still is active in the Deaf and Hispanic Deaf community. She currently serves as the vice president of Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, is a board member of Deaf Women of Minnesota, and is a contributor to the New England Latino Deaf Association. She is also involved in other Deaf organizations. In the past Jackie has taught ASL at all education levels, from community education to college courses. She loves being outdoors, camping, traveling, sewing and crafting silk flowers. 

Dr. Gloria Nathanson 

Gloria was born and raised in Minnesota, and currently lives in White Bear Lake. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Language Development with an emphasis on those with hearing loss from the University of Minnesota. Gloria also has her Doctor of Audiology degree from Gallaudet University and works at Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. She is a Certified Deaf Interpreter. She teaches college classes at St. Catherine University, Gallaudet University and McDaniel College.

Gloria was born deaf, due to genetics. Because both her parents are deaf, ASL is her native language. She has a deaf brother and a hearing sister. Gloria’s partner is also deaf. They have four children, two of whom are deaf. Being a mother to deaf children helped her understand what it is like to parent deaf children and navigate the educational system.

Gloria has been a Deaf Mentor since 2012. She is a lifelong advocate for the development of the whole child, and her interdisciplinary professional background provides her with knowledge and tools from varying perspectives to support that growth. Because knowledge is power, she became a Deaf Mentor to directly empower families of deaf andhard-of-hearing children. Between teaching, raising her children, and speaking at conferences, Gloria loves to read, scrapbook and travel. Fun fact:, In 1996, she competed for and won the title of Miss Deaf Minnesota and was a runner up in Miss Deaf America!

Melissa Schroeder 

Melissa was born and raised in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She attended the National Technological Institute for the Deaf and received her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in the Administrative Assistant program. Melissa is a Referral Specialist for ASL Interpreting Services, Minnesota’s largest ASL interpreting referral agency. She was born deaf, mainstreamed in school until seventh grade, then transferred to Wisconsin School for the Deaf. Melissa’s parents chose to teach her sign language despite their primary audiologist discouraging them from doing so. As a special education teacher, Melissa’s mother believed that she should have more access to language. As a result, Melissa’s parents learned sign language alongside her.

Melissa has been a Deaf Mentor since April 2019. She became a Deaf Mentor because she wanted to help deaf children connect with their family members. Her experience with her own parents was a blessing, and she wants that for other children. She believes that having open communication between a parent and a child will only strengthen their relationship.

Melissa has a blended. She has raised her partner’s oldest daughter with him and added two more to the mix. With one deaf child and two hearing children, ASL is happily used at home. Melissa loves walking, reading, dogs and being with her family. She loves hot weather, and summer is her favorite season!