When we feature the success stories of the Lighthouse, or highlight a program that needs community support, we interview employees and community members, and collaboratively write their story with them. On occasion, we get the unique opportunity to share their words directly with you. Today, we would like to share Mae Mullen’s story, exactly how she wrote it:
Hi, let me introduce myself, my name is Mae Mullen. I am DeafBlind. I will describe briefly about my upbringing before detailing my work at the Lighthouse.
I was born in South Korea and adopted when I was five years old. I moved to Oklahoma to be with my adopted family where I grew up. I went to a good public school with a Sign Language interpreter for communication. When I entered my Junior year of High School, I transferred to the Oklahoma School for the Deaf to complete my studies before graduation.
After staying around home, and taking community college classes for a few years, I ultimately transferred to Gallaudet University located in Washington DC, the only Deaf University in the world. After four years of studying I received my bachelor’s degree in child development. I truly love working with and being around children. After four more years in D.C., I moved to the other Washington. Seattle has been my home for 14 years now.
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- A woman with dark hair wearing a face mask stands at a work station with multiple screens, buttons, and keyboards in front of her. She is turning to look at the camera.
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- Mae, a dark haired woman wearing a patterned face mask, is using a hand held magnifier to read a small card held in her hand.
Soon after moving, I was hired at The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. My first eight years I spent working on air duct assembly, adding felt work and taking on various assignments for the Assemble Department.
In the last year, I was selected to train on the CNC machine. I was beyond thrilled! This is something that I never thought a DeafBlind woman would achieve!
More than willing to meet the challenge head on, a DeafBlind colleague trained me and after a few months, I was approved to work on the machine solo. I moved to the overnight shift and made parts on my large machine.
I admit I am beyond proud of myself for stepping up and becoming the first female DeafBlind CNC operator at The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. I have immensely enjoyed my work in the past year and am mentally tested daily.
My mission in life is to witness other DeafBlind people in positions that hearing/sighted peers are placed in easily. To break into these roles that means an investment in technology for DeafBlind employees: bigger monitors, CCTVs, braille outputs, and various types of magnification. I am ready to accept this challenge and mission, to work with more DeafBlind colleagues in a variety of roles.
Will you join me?
Mae Mullen
Production Worker Senior Aerospace
