Heather Whitestone Role Model

Heather Whitestone is an inspiring role model for individuals from both the Deaf and hearing community. She was born on February 24, 1973 in Dothan, Alabama. At 18 months old she became sick with Haemophilus influenza virus which lead to her profound deafness. After she developed this illness doctors believed that Whitestone would not make it past the third grade education level. However, Whitstone survived and has grown into an important figure for many individuals.

Whitestone’s mother was convinced that she would learn how to speak. Whitestone went until her senior year of high school without learning sign language. She attended fully hearing schools until she was 12. At age 16, after her parents divorce, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama. After the move, she successfully convinced …show more content…
Without her positive, optimistic outlook, she would not have been able to accomplish as much as she has to this date. After winning both pageants, she decided that she wanted to dedicated her time to the Deaf community. She also wanted to work to emphasize how important positive thinking is- whether you are hearing or Deaf. She established the STARS program, which stands for ‘Success Through Action and Realization of your dreamS’. Through this program she shared how she achieved success.

Whitestone married in June 1996, to John Mccallum, shortly after winning her Miss America title. Her husband worked with her to develop Heather Whitestone Inc. Currently, she works as a motivational speaker and author. Whitestone also serves the community by working as the President of Employment of People with Disabilities. WIth this organization , she created a multimedia presentation to inform the community about early signs of hearing loss. She was also a spokeswoman for the Hellen Keller Eye Research Foundation, as well as the Starkey Hearing Aid

Show More

Related Documents: Heather Whitestone Role Model

Essay about Ethnic Studies