What is your name?
Dave Bryan

How old are you?
20 years old

What city and state do you live in?
Portland, OR

What years and grades did you attend Tucker Maxon?
I attended Tucker Maxon from preschool through 5th grade (2002-2010).

Did you have a favorite teacher or staff member?
That’s a really hard question! All of the teachers that I had at Tucker Maxon were truly exceptional, so I don’t think I could narrow it down to a single teacher.

What caused your hearing loss?
I was born with severe hearing loss in my right ear.

What kind of tools do you use to support your hearing today?
I use a hearing aid to support my hearing.

Do you use sign/ASL?
Not needed!

How has hearing loss impacted your life or the life of people close to you?
Because my hearing loss is entirely in my right ear, I have a very hard time finding where a sound is coming from. Consequently, when somebody yells my name from a distance, it takes me a while to find out where they are.

What did you study in college, and/or what kind of work do you do, or want to do?
I am currently studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Portland. During my internship this summer, I have been working on fluid dynamics for a company that builds water diversions.

Please share an accomplishment you are especially proud of. 
One accomplishment that I am proud of is being named one of the valedictorians of my high school. This accomplishment was the result of my hard work, but, in a larger sense, I believe it is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Tucker Maxon staff. Without the years of loving support I received from my Tucker Maxon teachers, I would not have been remotely close to this level of achievement.

What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Spain for sure. Going into my trip to Spain, I had spent three years studying Spanish in a classroom, but I had only used it outside of the classroom a few times. This trip made all of the time I had spent learning Spanish in the classroom feel worth it, helped me encounter different cultures, and gave me the opportunity to enjoy summer Mediterranean weather while my friends were stuck with rainy Portland weather.

What do you look forward to most each day?
I feel blessed to be able to study a subject which is both interesting to me and meaningful.

Please share something you learned as a student at Tucker Maxon that has stayed with you ever since.
I learned a lot of lessons over my time at Tucker Maxon, but the lessons I learned from Jerry’s PE class have stuck with me the most. Throughout my time at Tucker Maxon, Jerry always reminded us of the importance of working hard, bringing a positive attitude, and being a good teammate.

Any words of advice for today’s Tucker Maxon students (hearing impaired, typical, or both)?
Be confident in your abilities when you leave Tucker Maxon and move into the next chapter of your life. Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to attend schools with really good teachers, but none of them compare with the education that I received at Tucker Maxon. When students move on from Tucker Maxon, they can leave knowing that they have been given the tools to succeed.