CID school children have come from 48 U.S. states and 28 countries.

CID Alumni Profiles  

Mariah was born with an underdeveloped cochlea. At 21 months, she took a bump on the head that caused her to completely lose her hearing. The effect was the result of a genetic condition called Mondini Syndrome.

“Something was obviously wrong,” Mariah’s mom, Aleah, said. “One day she was talking and then her speech suddenly changed.” Mariah’s cochlea does not have enough cells to benefit from hearing aids, so doctors recommended a cochlear implant. She enrolled in the CID nursery class and underwent the surgery at age 2.

For a year, Mariah's parents drove her to Central Institute for the Deaf three days a week from their home in Marion, Illinois, 130 miles from St. Louis. Then Mariah spent two years in the CID preschool-kindergarten, during which the family rented an apartment close to St. Louis. She graduated in 2002 and recently finished first grade in her hometown elementary school, on par or ahead of her hearing classmates. 

“Mariah is very social,” Aleah said. “She knows everybody at school, including all of the kids up to fifth grade.” Mariah’s younger brother, Ethan, is also hearing-impaired and was a student in the nursery class in the CID Joanne Parrish Knight Family Center.

“We’ve had a really good experience at CID,” Aleah said. “Mariah got everything she needed, and we won’t settle for something else for Ethan because it’s easier. I can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

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After spending nine years enduring up to an 80-mile commute every day in order to attend CID, Allison entered fifth grade at an elementary school near her home in Jerseyville, Illinois. She made her transition to the mainstream look almost easy, becoming a straight-A student and ending the year on the High Honor Roll. Allison had a few friends already at school from playing on local soccer teams and in her first year she made a few more. She also made the school basketball team, which went undefeated, and has continued to play club soccer in her spare time. She now attends middle school.

“What’s really incredible is the study habits that have been instilled in Allison,” her mother, Melissa, said. “She is extremely goal-oriented. When she has a test, she studies every night and is motivated to get the best possible grade.”

Allison has a cochlear implant, but still has to work extra hard because of her deafness. She knows she doesn’t get everything in the classroom, so she sits close to the teacher and faithfully asks questions when she doesn’t understand. Often with help from other students, she carries a portable FM system speaker from room to room. A teacher of the hearing impaired offers specialized assistance several times a week.

“We had the best for Allison at CID and so we expect to continue to receive the best possible services in the school district,” said Melissa.

Allison’s favorite subjects are social studies, because she learns “many interesting things,” and math, because she’s “fast at it.” When she grows up, she said she wants to become a doctor, so she can help other people.

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2002 CID school graduate Kevin attended junior high school in his hometown of Staunton, Illinois and began his junior year of high school in the fall of 2007. 

At age 17, Kevin follows in the footsteps of his older brother Steven, who is also deaf, attended CID, Staunton High School, the University of Louisville and Lewis and Clark College, earning his degree in CAD drafting. They both share a love for the family farm and auction service, football and four-wheeling with friends. What is different about Kevin his is love for music, baseball and soccer. Kevin prepared for high school football by attending a football camp, lifting weights and running. He is now a kicker and defenseman on the team.

Kevin maintained an A-B average throughout junior high school. In preparation for high school Algebra, he rode his four-wheeler to the neighbor’s for tutoring. He talks about going to college to study agricultural science. He played the bass drum for marching band, playing at halftime for the varsity games, and snare drum and cymbals for a concert band, .His favorite subjects are social studies, science and math. 

Kevin and his mother, Kathy, were featured speakers at the 2002 United Way Kick off for Bank of America. Kevin thrilled the 400+ audience when he talked about how CID taught him to talk and asked them to sing “Happy Birthday” to his brother, Steven. After his speaking engagement, he became a CID representative with the Cardinals Care organization.

Kevin's family is perhaps most proud that, despite some early years during which he provided challenges to both teachers and parents, he has grown up to be a polite, intelligible young man who loves to talk. 

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Profoundly deaf in both ears, 3-year-old Thomas came to the CID school with his mother in 1983 so he could attend CID. He spent 12 years learning to talk, first in the residential program and then living with his mother, who moved to St. Louis from Monaco after six years. Last summer, less than a year after earning his bachelor’s degree in business management from National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, Thomas became part owner of a successful apartment search business in New York City with more than 120 employees.

Thomas said he does much of his business using a tele-internet pager, which frees him to travel often. He credits the help of a deaf fraternity brother for getting his foot in the door of this highly competitive business. He also knows the value of his childhood education. “Without CID, I don’t think I would be who I am today,” he said.

Thomas also said he first learned the value of friendship at CID. Through his pager and other means, he stays in touch with his CID friends, including several college fraternity brothers.

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In 1990, just a few weeks after attending a school with hearing kids for the first time, Tommy was elected president of his fifth-grade class. He had graduated from CID the previous May after 11 years learning to talk. His parents had brought him to the parent-infant program when he was 6 months old and newly diagnosed as profoundly deaf in both ears. 

In 2005, the 27-year-old completed his master’s degree in Justice Studies with concentrations in Law, Policy and Evaluation and Comparative Justice at Arizona State University, where he completed his BS in Justice Studies/Pre-Law in 2002.

Tommy participated on student councils through high school, where he also played varsity soccer, wrestling and tennis and earned a Scholar Athlete Award for all three sports. He became serious about a career in law when he “saw the injustice of the legal system toward disabled people.” 

Tommy has worked for Phoenix’s Second District Congressman and represents St. Louis in the National Youth Leadership Network, a coalition of disabled leaders from across the country. 

Tommy prides himself on being a dynamic person whose path may change, but whose destination will not. He is determined to be a successful, positive role model for deaf people, to raise a family and to help the disabled community. He said he would love to run for public office someday, but for now expects to take the process “one step at a time” — like learning  to talk.

“I will never forget the unconditional support my teachers at CID gave me,” he said. “I would not have made it this far if it wasn't for my ability to speak fluently and intelligently.”

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1987 CID school graduate Jeff graduated from the JD program at the University of Michigan in spring of 2006. He passed the bar exam in 2006 and joined the St. Louis law firm Bryan Cave, becoming the latest of fewer than 100 deaf attorneys nationwide.

Jeff had come a long way since his parents brought him to the CID parent-infant program with profound hearing loss when he was 8 months old. He spent six years learning to talk at CID, finished grade school in a mainstream school, then launched an unlikely career as a champion debater at his local high school. He won several regional competitions, competed at the state level and qualified for the nationals.

As an undergraduate at Northwestern University, Jeff began to diversify his extracurricular activities, working for the school radio station and web site. He also served on a student advisory committee that provided recommendations to the university on accessibility issues for disabled people. "I learned a lot from both sides about the complex issues and costs surrounding these kinds of issues," he said.

Jeff looks back at his time at CID as a time of listening, talking and learning.

"I think the biggest thing was that so many different kinds of people were constantly talking to me, whipping my ears into shape with lots of different voices and speech patterns," he said. "Now I'm talking to so many different people. CID made that possible."

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Jessica's eyes sparkle when she talks about helping children, about her time as a student at the Central Institute for the Deaf school and about her work as a dentist treating children in St. Louis, Missouri. Jessica graduated from the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 2001, earning her DDS in 6 short years.

Jessica is profoundly deaf in both ears. She graduated from CID in 1985, at age 10. Her parents brought her to CID when she was 2.

"I remember a deep, deep caring and a great sense of belonging to a very close-knit family," she said. "The teachers really encouraged us and instilled a lot of confidence in me. Because of CID, I know I can go out and achieve anything. I have no barriers."

Jessica is serious about achieving. She has qualified for and run two Boston Marathons and plans to go back to school to specialize in pediatric dentistry. She said she is particularly interested in the challenge of working with children who have special needs.

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MEET CID's MOST FAMOUS GRADUATE

COLLEGES AND PROFESSIONS OF CID SCHOOL ALUMNI    

"We had the best
for Allison at CID."
        - Allison's Mom

 Kevin, Class of 2002

"I would not have made it this far if it wasn't for my ability to speak fluently and intelligently."
                     - Tommy

"Now I'm talking to so many different people.
CID made that possible."
- Jeff

"Because of CID,
I have no barriers. I know I can go out and achieve anything."
- Jessica