Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/819093
A gifted student, after high school Colin enrolled at Princeton University and graduated in the spring of 2017. He was the sole Deaf student at Princeton during his four years there and not only handled a demanding course load, but also conducted physics research in Italy with a Princeton professor and in New Jersey at MITRE Corporation. At a mere 21 years of age, Colin has already achieved more than have many hearing adults twice his age. This inspirational and hum- ble young man shows that Deafness is less a disability than a different way of living. We interviewed him to learn more about how he sees himself and what he does to thrive. * * * WellesleyWeston Magazine: How do you like people to refer to your hearing condition? Colin Lualdi: I refer to myself as "Deaf " with a capital "D," to indicate that I identify as a culturally Deaf individual — part of a heritage that includes the Deaf community, Deaf culture, and American Sign Language — not merely as a hearing-impaired person who considers his deafness strictly as a medical condition. "My greatest joy is that Colin seems to have overcome a huge pre-existing barrier for the Deaf to achieve academic success, and doing so has helped him reach his potential, and, more importantly, happiness and a sense of self-worth without giving up his Deaf identity. There were many involved in his journey that helped accomplish this and to that 'team' of players we are all grateful." — C o l i n 's m o t h e r, D a n i e l l e L u a l d i Danielle, Colin, Garret, and Paul Lualdi 66 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 an interview with colin lualdi