For any AFS student the everyday challenges of finding one’s feet in a new country, school and family are challenging enough, and you might think they would be harder for 17-year-old Christchurch boy Mark Berry, who is deaf, but nothing seems to stop him! Already a couple of months into his AFS exchange to Indianapolis, USA, Mark has already learnt American Sign Language and is really enjoying his time away.
He attends Indiana School for the Deaf and lives with hearing parents who teach there.
“I’m in a basketball team, although unfortunately, it will be over soon. I am also trying out for a play. The school is amazing, with lots of kids around my age, I am in a good class too; back in New Zealand there were some who thought I would struggle in classes, but it has not been the case yet. I know I will do well here and I am really having a wonderful time.
He speaks highly of his host family, the Catrons, who he says make him proud to be deaf. In New Zealand, Mark’s natural parents and siblings are deaf and he went to school at the Asch Deaf Education Centre.
Mark’s ultimate dream is to be an actor. “There aren’t that many deaf actors and actresses. I would like to break down those barriers and make it easier for other deaf people to have a go. I am passionate about acting. My dream is to be able to go to university, to prove people that I can do it; deaf people can do it, no matter what. I really hope I can achieve my dream.”
