Meet Jenelle Rouse, Inspiring Lady Who is the First Black Deaf Person to Receive a PhD in Canada

CURSORY: A brilliant black woman has made history after she received her PhD in Canada, making her the first black person to do so.

Jenelle Rouse made history In 2020, as the first Black deaf person to receive a Ph.D. in the country of Canada. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, check out her inspiring academic journey.

In 2008, Jenelle completed the Deaf and Hard Hearing Teacher Education Program at York University in Canada.

She then received her Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics in Education from the University of Western Ontario in 2016, before getting her Ph.D. in 2020.

her friend Abigail Danquah took to Facebook to say:

“This is beyond proof of anything possible to break the stigma/stereotype that people think Black Deaf person can’t do anything especially the education.

“She can do it then You can do it anything is possible when dream will come true.”

For over a decade, Jenelle has been an educator at a bilingual school for the deaf in Ontario. She also works as a Canadian applied linguistics researcher and a body-movement dance artist, wherein she aims to tell stories through contemporary body movements.

Jenelle believes it is very important for every deaf child to learn sign language, which is why she also advocates for the broader acquisition of the American Sign Language.

Follow Jenelle Rouse on her Instagram @dancer.multi.lens.existence

Read Also: Meet 50-year-old Deaf Mother Who Bagged Varsity Degree Against all Odds

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