Commencement 2025: Graduate Student Speaker Lu Ming reflects on an incredible journey

“Elevator” is the first American Sign Language (ASL) word that Lu Ming, G-’25, learned at Gallaudet. On her first day as a new student at Gallaudet’s English Language Institute (ELI), a receptionist directed Ming to take the elevator up to the classroom where she would receive months of intensive training in ASL alongside other international students.

That’s just one of the stories that Ming shared when she took the stage as the Graduate Student Speaker for the Commencement 2025 ceremony. During her speech, she used ASL to weave a story for the audience, expressing herself as a Deaf person and newly christened Gallaudet alumni. Shortly after, she formally received her master’s in accessible Human-Centered Computing, graduating with honors.

Arriving at Gallaudet

Ming was born and raised in Wuhan, China. Growing up, she thought she was the only deaf person in the world. With hearing aids, Ming could chat one-on-one with her family, friends, and teachers, but struggled to communicate in group settings. She made it through school and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media from a Chinese university. Little did she know, her academic journey was just beginning.

Like many deaf and hard of hearing people, Ming struggled with communication barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everybody around her was wearing masks, so she couldn’t lipread. Captioned television and movies were a lifesaver. They allowed Ming to keep learning and improve her reading skills. During the pandemic, that access became more important than ever, as it allowed her to stay connected with the world.

In 2021, the Oscar-winning film CODA, starring Gallaudet alums Troy Kotsur, E-’92, and Marlee Matlin, H-’87, was released on Apple TV+ to critical acclaim. Ming decided to watch for herself, curious how a movie from the United States would represent deaf people.

It was Ming’s first exposure to American Sign Language and Deaf culture. The film inspired her to research sign language in the United States, and she found Gallaudet University.

“It was amazing to learn about a university for the deaf where international students could go,” Ming says. After consulting with her family and friends, she decided to give it a shot. She interviewed for the English Language Institute at Gallaudet, and then applied for a U.S. visa.

Four months after watching CODA, she flew to Washington D.C. to begin life as a Gallaudet student.

Thriving at Gallaudet

Before arriving at Gallaudet, Ming knew English, but her only ASL knowledge was the alphabet she had picked up from YouTube videos. She joined the university’s English Language Institute, which teaches ASL and English to international students and other language learners. There, she met her first deaf peers and got her first taste of Deaf culture. She started from the basics of ASL, learning important words like “elevator”, “phone”, and “water”.

ELI became a second home for Ming. The teachers patiently helped her learn ASL. A class called “Cross-Cultural Communication” helped her learn how to engage with her classmates, most of whom were also learning sign language for the first time. She made friends from Saudi Arabia, Korea, and many other countries around the world.

In 2023, Ming was accepted to graduate school at Gallaudet. She was ready to use her digital media expertise to make the world more accessible for deaf and hard of hearing people. She remembered how captions had given her a lifeline to information. She also found herself frustrated with the gap in quality information between schools for the deaf and traditional schools, which had influenced her academic choices growing up.

In the Accessible-Human Centered Computing program, Ming learned how to make digital media more inclusive for deaf and hard of hearing people. Classes like “Human-Computer Interaction”, with Professor Peter Yeung, made learning fun while exposing her to new ways of thinking.

Yeung remembers, “When Lu Ming first joined my Human-Computer Interaction class, her passion for accessibility was immediately clear. She brought a rare combination of insight, empathy, and determination to her work, always grounded in a strong commitment to inclusion and equity.  Her dedication will undoubtedly inspire others to continue pushing for positive change.”

In statistics class, Professor James Waller challenged Ming and her classmates to think deeply about the power of data.

“Lu Ming is a joy to work with—motivated, inquisitive, and kind,” says Waller. “She has impressed many people across the university. I have no doubt she will thrive wherever she goes next!”

Making the World More Accessible

Looking back, Ming realizes how the challenges she faced shaped her experience at Gallaudet. 

“My journey wasn’t easy,” Ming says. “I’m proof that anyone has the power to start a new chapter.” She shared that message, and her story, with her peers at the Commencement ceremony. Her speech was delivered in fluent ASL, fully expressing her passion, joy, and gratitude.

When asked what advice she would give to incoming graduate students at Gallaudet, Ming encouraged them to embrace difficult situations.

“Grad school isn’t easy,” says Ming. “You have the right to feel upset and frustrated sometimes. That’s normal. Those challenges will help you grow.”

And what about international students considering Gallaudet?

“Gallaudet is open for you. Don’t worry too much about financial and communication barriers or being in a different culture. You’ll figure it out. When I arrived at Gallaudet, I didn’t even know the sign for ‘water’!”

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Check out the Commencement 2025 recap for more stories, as well as photos of the event.

Want to see Lu Ming’s speech? Watch the online recording of the Graduate Ceremony.