ASL ACCESS BOARD & OFFICERS

Founder/Director of ASL Access, Chris Wixtrom, grew up just down the street from California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSDR) and learned ASL from Deaf friends. Wixtrom earned teaching credentials from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and has enjoyed teaching deaf and hearing children and adults for over 40 years. She has taught ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes with adult hearing and Deaf learners and now works as a bilingual ASL + English tutor with Deaf learners. Wixtrom holds a Master of Science, Education: TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) as well as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. She is the English by Eye YouTube channel producer, creating bilingual ASL + English educational video resources.

Alec C. McFarlane has worked with the Library for Deaf Action (LDA), founded by Alice Hagemeyer, MLS, where the production of the I Made America Great Series (IMAG) and the Bridging Deaf Cultures (BDC) collection are primary arms of business. He has served on the Friends Of the Library for Deaf Action (FOLDA) board, which is the public service arm of LDA. He has worked with Ms. Hagemeyer for many years and spearheaded the action to create the nation’s first Deaf Cultural Digital Library in Maryland. Additionally, Mr. McFarlane serves on the administrative board of ASL Access, Inc., which promotes access to American Sign Language (ASL). Prior to Mr. McFarlane's involvement with libraries, he spent 40 years in the construction industry specializing in custom homes and light commercial construction and remodeling. He continues to work as the principal of the New Image Associates, Construction Consultants (NIA).

Treasurer, Indhira "Indy" Patricia Dixon has served as a key advisor for ASL Access. Ms. Dixon holds an A.A. degree in Accounting (1991) from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and a B.S. in Business Administration (1996) from Gallaudet University.  Mrs. Dixon, who became deaf in infancy, grew up as the only deaf person in her family.  She has three hearing children who are trilingual (ASL, English, Spanish). Mrs. Dixon is enthusiastic about the ASL Access English by Eye YouTube channel, which encourages reading with American Sign Language.

Ellen Walsh Semerjian represents a high level of expertise in church interpreting and has been providing ASL interpreting in her local church for seven years in Pahrump, Nevada. Her church service appears on Facebook every Sunday. She has been interested in ASL interpreting most of her life. She was employed as a printer at The Washington Post newspaper, along with many deaf employees, who were also printers. Mrs. Semerjian provides ASL church interpreting along with other volunteer services within her faith community. She is a long-standing advocate of ASL. She has a vision for ASL as a worldwide resource.

Katie Delgadillo: “I became Deaf at the age of two from spinal meningitis. I was not supposed to walk but overcame my challenges. I learn best by being hands on with everything. I became Deaf at the age of two from spinal meningitis. I was not supposed to walk but overcame my challenges. I learn best by being hands on with everything. I graduated from Kansas School for the Deaf in 2003. I received my A. A. in Elementary Education and am currently working on my bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. My goal is to receive a master’s degree in Deaf Education. I am currently a keynote speaker for my former professor at CWI for one of her classes that focuses on the students with hearing losses every semester. I have been doing this for about 5 years now and I LOVE it. I also am a Deaf advocate for many Deaf students plus the students who are hearing and in the Extended Resources Room. I currently work at Van Buren Elementary school, working with hearing students with disabilities and teaching them how to sign, how to communicate, and how to prove that they know what they need to do to meet their goals. I used to work for West Ada school district in Meridian in the DHH program for almost ten years! I also provide access and support for English By Eye projects.”

Robyn J. Marcak (Deaf) holds B.A. in Education from California State University, Northridge, as well as an M.S. in Deaf Education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.  In the state of Texas, she is certified in two areas:  All Levels in Deaf Education and Secondary Level in ASL.  She is also certified in Council on Education of the Deaf.  She is an ASLTA (American Sign Language Teachers Association) and NAD (National Association of the Deaf) member.  Ms. Marcak is currently working on obtaining her national ASLTA certification.

Ms. Marcak has been teaching high school, college, and continuing education classes for twenty-three years.  She started the ASL program at Fort Bend Independent School District in Sugarland, Texas.  In 1996, there were just  120 students. The program now has over 500 ASL students.  While teaching with the Fort Bend Independent School District, Ms, Marcak was filmed by a local cable television show - “All About Kids” - performing  an ASL interpretation of “Lean On Me”.  In 1998, she started another ASL program at Klein Independent School District in Houston, Texas.  An original group of 60 students has now grown to 500.  Ms. Marcak has written and published curriculums for high school districts and three colleges: San Jacinto College and North Harris College (both in Houston, Texas) and Blinn College in Bryan, Texas.

 Ms. Marcak managed the ASL program for the KISD for 5 years.  She also directed the Deaf Follies performance with the ASL I, II and III levels, teaching hearing high school students as they earned foreign language credit in their ASL courses at Klein Forest High School. Ms, Marcak received the “Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher of the Year”  award for 2001-2002.  She has been giving ASL Workshops across the nation, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Monterey, California, Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Indiana, Kansas City, Missouri, Orlando, Florida, San Francisco, California, Brenham, Texas and Frisco, Texas.  She taught ASL and Deaf Culture courses at Cy-Fair College from 2005-2007.   In 2006, she was the “2006 Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award Winner” and was on the ASL Advisory Board for the committee.  She served as the Texas ASLTA (American Sign Language Teachers Association) President from 2003-2011 and she was a Member-at-Large for the Greater Houston ASLTA.  Currently, Ms. Marcak serves on the ASL Access Administrative Board.  She is a full-time ASL professor and the coordinator for the ASL Program at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas.  She is also involved with the Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA) as Chairman of the ASL/Interpreting Programs.  Ms. Marcak won the “2012 National Institute Staff and Organizational Development Teaching Excellence Award.” She was selected for “2017 Teaching Excellence Award” at Blinn College, earning this for her dedication to her students and colleagues.