Aretta Jarvis

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

My name is Aretta Jarvis. I grew up in the very small, mountain town of Lebec / Frazier Park in central California. At the age of 12, it was discovered that I had a moderate hearing loss in my right ear. Several years later, I was diagnosed with Menier's Disease, and eventually lost all hearing in my right ear, with a severe loss in the left ear. My senior year of high school, I decided to learn American Sign Language and took classes at Bakersfield College. I immediately fell in love with the language and, with some getting used to, became a part of the Deaf people and community.

After High School graduation, I attended Bakersfield College, and eventually moved to Utah. There I met my husband, Jason Jarvis, who is also Deaf. We have been blessed with four daughters; Emilynn, Brinna, Kenna, and Serenna. We have lived in Eagle Mountain since 2000.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, scrap booking, traveling, photography, digital imaging, cooking, and spending time with my family. I also love sharing the language of the Deaf community. For the past 10 years, I have taught ASL in many different settings; everything from preschool to adult sign language classes. I currently enjoy teaching ASL at Rockwell Charter High School in Eagle Mountain, as well as working with families of deaf children to help them improve communication in their homes. I believe that each and every deaf child should have the opportunity to communicate easily with those around them.