Krista is co-directing an AAC community group (she was an attendee for two years, and gradually took on more responsibilities, so that she now co-directs the group).

In that position one of her responsibilities is to schedule events and create invitations. In planning one such event, she made a call to schedule an event at a local library. The first time Krista called the library using her Pathfinder, the person who answered the phone hung up on her, thinking it was a prank call . . . strike one. Krista called back and reached an individual who was not attuned to devices, and finally told her that she just didn’t understand. . . strike two. Krista did not call the co-leader and beg off. Instead, she called Speech-to-Speech Relay and had them provide support during the third call . . . home run! The woman at the library reported that she went home and told her husband, “Today I met a very brave young woman!” Krista’s greatest strengths are persistance and courage!

Krista would like to be a classroom assistant in a program with students who use AAC. She has co-directed the community group for AAC users for four years, volunteered as a classroom assistant three days a week, taken classes to become a certified aide, and developed fun activities for AAC users. Pretty amazing!

Krista is an excellent AAC user. She has learned how to initiate a conversation, set a topic, maintain a topic, and close a conversation. But most of all, she is excellent at engaging her communication partner. She uses these skills to model AAC use to students in her classroom and to students who attend her AAC community group. Krista is also able to use her device with a computer to complete written assignments, e-mails, and phone conversations. All important elements for her future job.

Krista is loved by AAC users and their parents - she is both kind and fun, and is such an excellent model in so many ways, as an AAC user, as a leader, and as a ‘typical teen.’ As one mother said, “she makes me see the future for my child, and it is so much brighter than I could have dreamed. It’s just so neat to see how much FUN she has, and that she’s just so . . . cool!”

She has attended many organized AAC events including AAC camp (several years), local AAC events, as an ambassador, statewide speech and hearing association (as a presenter and ambassador). Krista is certainly worthy to wear the title of “AAC hero”!