Faustina Easterday, a fourth grade student at Columbus St. Mary School, located in Columbus’ German Village neighborhood, could be considered a trailblazer.
While she follows in the steps of many students who attended Catholic schools before her, she is blazing a trail for future generations of Catholic school students.
Easterday was born deaf.
She proves that students who are deaf do not have to separate their education from their Catholic faith. They can receive a Catholic education, too.
This academic year marks Easterday’s first in a Catholic school.
Her parents, Mark and Sam, were eager to make the switch from a public to a Catholic school. St. Mary School was determined to make it happen for them.
Gina Stull, the school’s principal, recalled her conversation with the family.
“When they told us about Faustina and wanting to bring her here and have the Catholic school experience, I said, ‘Absolutely. I would love to have her, and I would love to see what we can do. How can we support this family?’ Because Faustina was created the way she was created, and she deserves that opportunity,” Stull said.
Easterday’s fourth grade teacher, Linda Cotter, is in her 50th year teaching at St. Mary School. She taught a child who was deaf at the school previously.
“So, she was also very willing and excited to have Faustina in the classroom,” Stull said. “It’s been great.”
Easterday has an interpreter who accompanies her at school all day and translates what her teacher says in class. The interpreter sits in front of Easterday while the school attends Mass and translates, so she can participate in the liturgy, too.
During lunchtime, Easterday eats with her peers. She desires to try and communicate without her translator present, Stull noted.
“They are all jumping on board to try to communicate with her as well,” she said of the other students.
As much as the St. Mary School community appreciates having her, Easterday is enjoying her new school.
Through her interpreter, Devan Akers, who translated for her, Easterday expressed her love of attending a Catholic school. She said she loves everything about St. Mary.
She explained that she made friends easily and recalled students “running” up and embracing her.
She noted that she enjoys math and special subjects at the school, such as gym class.
“Faustina is extremely bright and has grown leaps and bounds since she’s been here,” Stull said.
Easterday has demonstrated that being deaf does not exclude her from opportunities outside of the classroom either. For the school’s Christmas production this year, Easterday played the role of Mary.
Her mother, Sam, added that Easterday loves “the challenge” of St. Mary School and benefits from the structure.
As an example, she explained that Easterday appreciates the school’s “red marks,” which are used when a student does not listen and do as they are asked by the teacher. Sam said her daughter likes accountability when students do not behave.
Easterday is on the Jon Peterson Special Needs (JPSN) Scholarship, which provides funds for services for special-needs students in nonpublic schools. St. Mary School is a participating JPSN Scholarship provider.
The amount of scholarship dollars is determined by the category of the disability. Hearing impairment is one of the scholarship’s categories.
St. Mary School is in the process of adding an American Sign Language class for students so they can better communicate with Easterday. Stull said several students have picked up sign language.
She noted how they benefited from Easterday’s presence in the school.
“I think it’s just opening up the world to our kids who have never been around a deaf person,” she said. “It sort of takes some of the unknown away from those children, and they treat her just like anyone else, and that’s great – that’s great to see that there’s no fear or mystery around her. She’s just one of their classmates.”