May is graduation month, and it hit me recently — it’s been 25 years since I graduated from college! A whole quarter of a century. It’s hard to believe how fast time flies.
Looking back at RIT and top honors
I started flipping through old photos and videos from my graduation at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where I earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. I graduated in the top 1% of my class and was honored as one of RIT’s Outstanding Undergraduate Scholars.
That recognition ceremony happened a month before graduation — and it actually fell on my birthday, which made it even more memorable!
NTID luncheon and my first speech
The day before my graduation ceremony, I was also honored at a special luncheon at NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf) where I received the NTID Academic Achievement Award — an award for a deaf graduate like myself. All award recipients were asked to give a short speech.
While it wasn’t my first time speaking in front of an audience, I didn’t have many opportunities to give speeches in college, so I was very nervous. I remember feeling like I wanted the ground to swallow me up — haha.
A moment of gratitude and triumph
You can check a short video clip from my speech – just a portion. (Descriptive transcript below.)
In that speech, I thanked everyone who helped me get into college and supported me along the way. That moment was deeply meaningful to me — not just because of the awards, but because of the journey.
English isn’t my first language, and I wasn’t born in the United States. Add deafness to the mix, and the challenges multiply. When I was in high school, I didn’t know if I would even be able to attend a university where English was the main language — let alone graduate with top honors. So it was a milestone I will never forget.
From that speech to the world stage
What I didn’t know then was that it wouldn’t be my last time speaking in front of an audience. Since 2008, I’ve given presentations across the U.S. and internationally — sometimes in front of thousands of people!
My 2018 TEDx talk
One of the moments I’m most proud of is my TEDx talk in 2018, where I spoke about the business benefits of captioning and how it improves accessibility, audience reach, and ROI:
Still a few nerves — but no stage fright
These days, I no longer get stage fright — but like many seasoned speakers, I still get a few nerves before going onstage, especially when it comes to tech hiccups or remembering all the key points (even after lots of practice!).
Book me to speak at your next event
I truly enjoy speaking to audiences and helping them understand the value of disability awareness and accessibility.
If your organization is looking for a speaker — whether for an internal event, a public conference, or something in between — let’s connect!
Descriptive transcript of Sveta’s graduation award speech video clip
(Three people behind the lectern wearing suits, two women and one man.)
A woman on the left: It’s my pleasure to give the award to her. I’m happy to know you for 2 years. And I hope we keep in touch even after you graduate.
(A man on the right is an interpreter and interprets what the woman on the left says.)
(People applauding and waving hands in air.)
Sveta (wearing a beige jacket with short sleeves and flowers on her left): I feel honored to receive this award. But I couldn’t have achieved this without people who supported me for all … during all four years here.
And first, I’d like to thank my family who came here today. And I’d like to thank my professors and I would like to thank all of the interpreters who made it easier for me to understand what was happening in the classroom. And I would also like to thank the CIAS NTID support office and my counselors.