LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Delrene Tschida was nominated by her spouse, Paul Tschida.

Mrs. Tschida has spent her life fighting to improve the lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Her mission is personal—both her parents are deaf, and American Sign Language is her first language. Growing up, she learned first-hand the daily struggles deaf people face in society. But that’s only part of the picture. The other, more vital parts are her innate gift for teaching and passion for helping people.

Most of Mrs. Tschida's career has been spent in deaf classrooms, where she helped students of various grade levels learn and thrive in a hearing society. While her impact was strongly positive, it’s the position she’s held the last few years that has allowed her to truly amplify her impact. She is now the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (“DHH”) teacher for El Dorado County, California, a diverse place that encompasses Lake Tahoe, the outlying suburbs of Sacramento, and the mountains and forests of the Sierra Nevada in between.

As an itinerant teacher, she constantly travels to schools throughout the county to ensure DHH students in mainstream (hearing) classrooms are receiving the services they deserve, and to fight for those services if necessary. She does an awful lot of fighting, and even conducts home visits for children from newborn to age five. There is significantly less awareness of DHH needs in general society than in the deaf schools where she used to work, so a huge part of her job involves educating parents and teachers. Through her own life experiences, she helps them understand that hearing loss is not a catastrophe, and that DHH individuals can live lives just as rich and rewarding as anyone else.

It was not always like this in El Dorado County. Prior to Mrs. Tschida’s arrival, the position had been vacant for some time. She immediately went to work establishing processes, developing curriculum, and cultivating relationships with the aid of her friendly and caring personality. If that weren't challenge enough, her caseload has literally doubled since her arrival three years ago,. Through it all, Mrs. Tschida has made students her first priority, refusing shortcuts and remaining tactfully steadfast in her pursuit of the best possible education for them. As a matter of fact, her successes were recently recognized through an “Award for Outstanding Service” from the El Dorado County SELPA, the public entity responsible for special education service delivery.

"As Delrene’s husband, I may be biased, but don’t take my word for it. Ask anyone who works with her and you’ll hear how she's improved and enriched the community," said Mr. Tschida. "Her students are undergoing rapid academic and social growth due to her nurturing advocacy. Teachers are better equipped to educate their DHH students with the collaborative support she provides. Administrators can boast about the quality of their county’s DHH services thanks to her expertise and dogged persistence. Most importantly, her students are empowered on a daily basis to be proud of themselves and to advocate for their own future."