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Learning English as a second language isn’t at all uncommon. In most cases, children are taught as a result of their ethnicity and not because they lack the ability to learn. Now imagine growing up in an environment where your parents couldn’t speak verbally at all. This is the life of NS Interpreter Jane Tucker.
As young children, both of Tucker’s parents became partly deaf as the result of a serious illness. After they were married and started their family, they were faced with the situation of how they would teach their children to speak. Tucker began signing as a baby and continued to pursue the language as she got older. Sign language was the only way to communicate in her house and she grew up not knowing any differently. Tucker has a hard time remembering how she learned to speak English, but can only assume it was from the kids she grew up with and school peers.
Tucker and her siblings faced discrimination both in and out of school. Bullies were a prevalent part of her life, and she is grateful now there is more acceptance of the deaf culture.
“We got made fun of as kids,” Tucker said. “Nowadays I think it’s more acceptable, but back then people weren’t as knowledgeable about the matter, and they were mean.”
After graduating high school, Tucker accepted a job working for the state as an ASL supervisor. She hired interpreters all over Utah, and told them where to go and what to do. Because ASL was not as common many years ago, Tucker had a gift that could get her a job almost anywhere she wanted. She used this to her advantage and was able to teach ASL classes at both Utah Valley University and Salt Lake Community College.
However as the years passed, Tucker decided to leave the only career she had ever known and move to Sanpete County.
“When I left Salt Lake, I came here not knowing there was any deaf kids. I was leaving and getting out of the profession, period,” Tucker said.
Tucker soon learned of the Boekweg family from Mt. Pleasant who had four deaf children. She knew she couldn’t ignore the fact that she could help them with their education. Tucker and previous NS interpreters first began working with the oldest two children, but as time went on, Tucker formed a strong friendship with junior Julie Boekweg.
Tucker began interpreting for Julie when she first entered Kindergarten and has since followed her through her schooling for the last thirteen years. Julie considers Tucker to be her “best friend” and cherishes the relationship that they have.
“I trust talking with my interpreter who I cherish,” Julie said. “If I have a bad day, I can talk to someone I trust, like my interpreter Jane.”
Tucker has a special relationship with Julie and the rest of the Boekweg family. She has pushed Julie to do her best in school, and has been rewarded as she watches her succeed. Julie’s mother Kari described how excited her kids were when they first met Tucker. They finally had someone they could communicate with on their level of understanding.
“They just sat around the table, all smiles and talked to Jane,” Kari said. “We obviously are able to communicate with them, but Jane comes from a home with deaf parents and the kids were so excited to have someone to fully understand them.”
Because Jane is a licensed interpreter, she is able to teach and work just about anywhere she is needed. Just learning ASL is not enough nowadays because the skills and patience required is often too much for others to handle.
“For the first five years of living here, I taught classes at Mt. Pleasant Elementary,” Tucker said. “I was trying to develop some new interpreters, and in doing so, I probably had about 20 students. All the TA’s here took ASL classes from me.”
Tucker does not currently teach any classes, but stays with Julie all day. Interpreting for her gives Tucker great satisfaction.
“I guess what gets me going, what gets me here everyday, is knowing the end result, which is Julie’s accomplishments,” Tucker said. “I taught her how to read, taught her how to write. She is a 4.0 student and I feel responsible for helping her get there. I feel like she is my daughter, one of my own kids. We are just so close.”
Along with working with Julie, Tucker has aided a few other students between the elementary school, middle school, and high school. She has taught ASL at NS and has helped many previous students and faculty to learn the basics of sign language.
Tucker loves what she does, and is grateful for the opportunity and time she gets to spend with Julie on a daily basis. The pair is often seen going from one college class to another, sharing a bond that even an outsider could see.
“I could go on all day long about how great Jane is,” Kari said. “She is such a good influence on Julie, and has enabled her to be where she is now. Without Jane, Julie would not be able to attend school at NS.”
With less than a year and a half left with Julie, Tucker is soaking up the time she has, and looking forward to what the future will bring her. Whether it be teaching or interpreting for another student, Tucker is prepared to handle whatever life throws at her.
