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| ONE MINUTE WITH ... Lauren McGrath |
| Name: Lauren McGrath Occupation: Teacher of the Deaf in South Brunswick, NJ Address: South Plainfield Age: 27 Family: Linda McGrath, my mom, who is a first grade teacher in South Plainfield. Peter McGrath, my dad, who works for FEMA. My sisters and their families, including my two nieces, Chelsey and Grace, and my nephew Timothy, (I will be an aunt again this August, too. My older sister is having another baby girl!). My cats, Mully and Sassy, and my dog, Neslee. Community activities: At the school where I work, I am very involved in the community activities that the students do. This year, we collected money to help children who have leukemia. We also participated in the UNICEF collection on Halloween. I run a parent support group for the families in my district who have children with hearing loss. I tutor several of my former students during the week and I am volunteering for the New Jersey Association for the Deaf- Blind. During the summer, I work at a camp for children and adults with disabilities and every year I participate in a local Heart Walk with some friends to raise money for research on heart disease. Hobbies: I enjoy reading, going to the movies, completing Sudoku puzzles, biking and most of all, shopping! Self-Portrait: I see myself as a caring and friendly individual. I am not very outgoing, but I enjoy having fun with my family and my friends. I am very loyal to the ones I love and I am also very well-organized. Motto: Every day is a new day… make it count. Greatest accomplishment: Besides graduating college, I would have to say that my greatest accomplishment so far has been teaching my younger students to read. I am hoping to start graduate school soon. I would love to become a speech therapist. Bad habits: Sometimes, I can not say no and I overextend myself. Favorite TV show: All of the CSIs, Ghost Whisperer and anything on Lifetime TV People don’t know that I: My room is painted a really bright pink. It is really obnoxious! Last Book I read: Currently, I am reading Michael Cohorst's book, Rebuilt. I do not have as much time to read as I would like, so I often pick up silly gossip magazines since you can go through them so quickly. They are one of my guilty pleasures. The biggest asset in the local deaf and hard of hearing communities: The support that the New Jersey Chapter of AG BELL gives parents and their children is phenomenal. Whenever a parent of a newly diagnosed child contacts me for information, the AG BELL website is always included in the information that I give them. The biggest problem in the local deaf and hard of hearing communities: I would have to say that the biggest problem is that many people outside the community are not aware of many of the issues that families with students who are deaf or hard of hearing face on a daily basis. People outside the community are often not sensitive to the needs of our students and the only way to combat this problem is to continue to educate these individuals as we come in to contact with them. If I had more time I would: I would love to travel, but that would also require more money! So, I guess I would tackle the closets that I have wanted to clean for the past few months and I would love to write a children’s book that would help the deaf and hard of hearing community in some way. Amy Kroll's book, I'm the Boss of My Hearing Loss, is so clever and informative. My students love to read it over and over again! I would love to be able to create something like that! |
NJ Chapter of Alexander
Graham Bell Association for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
PO. Box 551
Piscataway, NJ 08855-0551
president@agbellnj.org
Graham Bell Association for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
PO. Box 551
Piscataway, NJ 08855-0551
president@agbellnj.org
