Nyle DiMarco — the Deaf Adonis — delivers an inspiring presentation to SJSU students and admirers

A few years back when Nyle DiMarco — my daughter’s and son-in-law’s classmate from Gallaudet University — won America’s Next Top Model reality TV show, the Deaf Community was happy and proud to have one of their own receive national recognition. I remember seeing video of my daughter jumping with glee when it was announced.

The joy and pride grew when Nyle followed up with an even more impressive victory, winning the “mirror ball” trophy in the popular TV competition show Dancing with the Stars — which is an astounding achievement considering that the young man is profoundly deaf and can’t hear music.

On this past Wednesday evening, as part of the Spartan Speaker Series at San Jose State University, Nyle (with an ASL interpreter) spoke to an audience of students and community members about his long journey from a child raised in a Deaf family that goes back four generations in New York to growing up in Texas and attending a Deaf state school (and briefly part-time at a “hearing school”) to attending university in D.C. to traveling the world on this own, and eventually, becoming a Hollywood celebrity and establishing a foundation to support American Sign Language and education for Deaf children.