By GINA KINSLOW
Glasgow Daily Times
GLASGOW —
Kali Lyons has always been the kind of person to use her hands to express herself while talking, so it’s only fitting she would want to learn sign language.
Lyons, a Glasgow elementary education major at Western Kentucky University, works at South Central Bank while attending college. She recently completed an American Sign Language class and is taking another.
“After I completed all of my general ed, I was just really at a loss of what to take, so I just started looking down through all the classes that Western offers and I saw that they offered sign language,” she said. “I thought it would be very interesting.”
After taking the first sign language class, Lyons said she fell in love with the language.
“It’s just so beautiful and amazing,” she said.
Her knowledge of signing has allowed her to communicate with deaf or hard of hearing customers at the bank, like Tammy Brown Hammer, of Glasgow, who is deaf.
Lyons has been able to assist Hammer with her banking on two different occasions by using sign language.
“Communication is so much smoother with someone who knows sign language,” said Hammer. “It was nice that I can have self-control of my personal finances. I don’t have to worry about sharing it with a third person.”
Often when Hammer does banking she ends up sharing her personal banking information with multiple people, which is not only frustrating but somewhat unsettling that so many people know her personal information.
Lyons initially became acquainted with Hammer through a lab that accompanies the sign language classes. Hammer works with the sign language students throughout the semester.
“She really helped me with our final project of the semester. Each student had to either sign a song or tell a story. I chose a story, and after meeting with Tammy to go over my story with her, she said I was doing a very good job and could even consider a career associated with [signing],” Lyons said. “Unfortunately, currently the only university offering a major related to ASL is Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond — a two and-a-half hour drive from here.”
Maria Mikolajczyk, who is Lyons’ supervisor at South Central Bank, happened to notice Lyons signing with Hammer using sign language one day.
“The first time she came in and I saw her and Kali doing sign, it just kind of gave me chills,” said Mikolajczjyk. “So, I went and told her, ‘I’m so glad that Kali’s able to talk to you.’”
Mikolajczyk said Hammer has asked that all of the branch’s employees learn sign language.
“Kali tries to teach us a few things here and there, but I don’t know if we will be as good as she is,” Mikolajczyk said. “I just thought that was really going above and beyond for her being able to do that.”
Mikolajczyk continued that although singing is a personal interest of Lyons, it will benefit her in her work at the bank.
Lyons is modest about her ability to communicate with the deaf.
“I just completed level one, so I’m not super awesome,” she said. “I don’t know that many words in sign. I know a lot and I can generally communicate, but I still need to learn a lot more. I’m not fluent in sign at all yet.”
“But she’s working on it,” Mikolajczyk said.
Lyons is taking American Sign Language, Level II this semester, and plans to take a finger spelling class next semester.
“I am looking forward very much to working with Tammy on improving my skills as a signer in this and upcoming semesters,” Lyons said.
