On May 15 at the 56th annual Honors Ceremony, junior Brooke Hoenecke walked across the stage after marking a landmark achievement for the school: becoming West’s first student to earn the Seal of Biliteracy in American Sign Language. 

Hoenecke, deaf since birth, didn’t learn ASL right away. She began learning sign language when she was younger, but because she was scheduled to get cochlear implants, audiologists told her parents to stop. She picked up her ASL journey again in middle school.

“In seventh grade, I decided to take [an] ASL class at the middle school; I’ve been going through the ASL program at West since then at West,” Hoenecke said. “I’m cadet teaching this year [for ASL].”

Alongside cadet teaching, Hoenecke also pursued the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy this year. The Seal of Biliteracy is a standardized measure of one’s proficiency in a language. Traditionally, to qualify for the seal, a test-taker must exhibit adequate skill in reading, writing, listening and speaking concepts. However, because ASL communication differs from traditional language precedents, the ASL Seal of Biliteracy is divided into two separate parts: receptive, the ability to understand the language, and expressive, the ability to communicate using it.  

Once a test-taker qualifies for the seal, they must complete a Global Competency Project where they demonstrate their knowledge and interest in the culture of the respective language.

“In my Global Competency Project, I talked about how I was Deaf and how I would use my experiences to help other people,” Hoenecke said. “I’ve been more involved in the Deaf community [now] than in the past. [Previously], I really didn’t see myself as Deaf, because I was communicating really well. Later on, I learned that it’s okay to [connect] with the community.” 

Hoenecke is heavily involved in the Deaf community at school; not only does she cadet teach for ASL teacher Jessie Menchak, but she is also the social media manager for ASL Club.

“[At ASL Club meetings] we usually go into the [designated] room [and] chat a little bit — keeping in mind [that] it’s only sign [instead of] talking. We do a presentation and then play a couple of games like Taboo or charades,” Hoenecke said. 

Hoenecke advocated for the introduction of ASL 4 into the school’s foreign language curriculum for the 2024-2025 school year, a class that she will be taking and encourages other ASL students to take. 

“I went into the ASL 3 class, handed out candy and [encouraged my peers to] take ASL 4. I also have a couple of friends who are in ASL 3 right now, so I pushed them to take ASL 4. ASL 4 [contains] more in-depth, advanced signing. It’s important [because] it keeps the program moving along. I know the German program is gone, but [I] don’t want that to happen to ASL,” Hoenecke said. 

Earning the seal was a major accomplishment for Hoenecke because it served as a reminder of her progress in learning ASL. Her experience can be a gateway for others to earn the seal as well.

“It means a lot to me because, hopefully, more people can start taking the ASL Seal of Biliteracy test [if] they can have someone to ask questions to. If the incoming juniors next year take it, they can ask me [about my experience], and people won’t be scared to take it knowing that I was able to [succeed],” Hoenecke said. 

Hoenecke believes in furthering education about Deaf culture in school curriculum and is committed to breaking down closed-minded stereotypes that are harmful to the community. 

“[Normally], you don’t learn anything about Deaf culture [in] school. [The ASL program] tries to teach people about it. We do have a big Deaf population at West, so it’s important for people to learn about [the language],” Hoenecke said. 

While her relationship with being Deaf shifted throughout her life, Hoenecke now recognizes its significance and hopes to be more engaged with the community in the future.

“[Being Deaf] means a lot to me because I have a community of people [that] I can share my experiences [with]. My experience with [being Deaf] is different because I didn’t grow up with any ASL at all. I only started learning [it] in middle school, [so] my [story] is not going to be the same as [others],” Hoenecke said. “I asked my audiologist about volunteering [in the future], and I want to do some programs where I’m with other Deaf people, sharing experiences.”