Jason Quezada can’t hide the New Yorker inside of him.
“I remember feeling misunderstood even as a kid,” he says. “People always thought I was tired or angry. I still deal with it today.”
Like many New Yorkers, Quezada’s outspoken personality belies a quiet integrity and dedication to community. He arrived at Gallaudet in 2024 after ten years of teaching and supporting deaf students in New York City. Today, he is on track to graduate with a B.A. in Social Work.
City boy
“I grew up everywhere in New York City,” says Quezada. He is Brooklyn-born and Bronx-raised by Dominican parents. He spent his early days playing or biking around neighborhoods like Spanish Harlem and Washington Heights. On the weekends, his grandmother in Brooklyn took him to the beaches of Coney Island. During school breaks, the family traveled to the Dominican Republic.
No matter the location, Quezada has always been surrounded by a loving family and Dominican pride. He remembers dinner tables full of food, surrounded by relatives, and with music playing at all hours. He and his older brother, Jarmy would run around the house until it was time to sit down and eat mangú con los tres golpes.
The two brothers were inseparable. They had similar personalities, combining traits from their stoic father and talkative mother. Still, Jarmy would take advantage of his younger brother’s innate desire for fairness.
“Being outspoken is probably the best and worst thing about my brother,” says Jarmy. “I’d even nudge him to ask our parents why our cousins got a later curfew than us, knowing he’d get the lecture on house rules and respect instead of me.”
Quezada and his brother were the only two deaf people in the family. While Jarmy went to Lexington School for the Deaf in Queens, Quezada was instead placed in a mainstream program, where he began learning American Sign Language (ASL) with other deaf and hard of hearing peers. When he came home, he continued signing with Jarmy, who advised Quezada on Deaf culture.
As he approached the end of his high school career, Quezada imagined himself becoming an architect or lawyer. His interest in law stayed with him even as life took him on a different path for the next decade.
Finding the right path
Quezada attended college for a few semesters after graduating high school, but didn’t find his path right away. He returned to New York City and began working as a paraeducator. Over the years, he served students at Lexington School for the Deaf, his brother’s alma mater, and St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf in the Bronx.
Quezada had a variety of roles during his time as an educator, working with students from kindergarten to high school. He helped teachers manage the classroom and led classes when instructors were absent. Near the end of his tenure, he took on the role of Digital Media Teacher. He was proud to be part of the first group of at Lexington to become fully accredited.
While teaching was a rich experience, Quezada realized that he wanted to support students outside of the classroom, as well. He remembered his own parents struggling with a lack of resources on how to raise their two deaf sons.
“Students would approach me with issues they were having at home,” says Quezada. “Like their family not learning sign language. I realized that social work might be a good fit because I could help both students and their families.”
He decided it was time to shift careers. He took community college classes to begin earning credits. He also needed to bolster a high school transcript that was, by his own admission, not good enough. When it was finally time to decide where to pursue his first degree, there was an obvious choice.
“I grew up mainstreamed and never had the experience of being surrounded by the deaf community and deaf culture,” says Quezada. “If I didn’t go to Gallaudet, it would be a lost opportunity.” While the choice might have been simple, it wasn’t as easy as buying a plane ticket. He had to leave behind a stable life in his hometown.
“I had an apartment, I had a job, I had everything,” Quezada says, reflecting on what he sacrificed. “When I get my degree, it will all be worth it.”
A campus leader
Quezada “felt like the senior citizen on campus” when he arrived at 30 years old. While he had been around deaf people all his life, the Gallaudet community consisted of mostly unfamiliar faces. He quickly made new friends and new connections, but his focus was on academics.
Quezada has made the Dean’s List in every semester that he’s been at Gallaudet. He immersed himself in classes like Research Methods in Social Work, which has given him new insights into the field. Students in the class learn to analyze and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data.
He has also enjoyed classes like Social Welfare Policy, which explores the relationship of the social work profession and the social welfare system. The course considers the systemic impact of policies on underserved populations.
Quezada’s research and policy education isn’t limited to the classroom. As part of the Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) program at Gallaudet, Quezada recently began an internship with the Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (DDDBHH) in the District of Columbia Office of Disability Rights. In addition to assisting the DDDBHH team with outreach services, he will develop research briefs that inform policy decisions in the D.C. government.
Quezada’s instructors have taken notice of his dedication. He currently serves as a Student Liaison with BSW, helping to mediate conflicts inside the Social Work program.
“Jason is a leader in the Social Work program,” says Professor Haley Stokar, BSW Program Director. “Formally, he serves as one of our DEI student liaisons and informally, he brings out the best in his peers through invigorating discussion in class. We can’t wait to see where his career takes him!”
“Jason is assertive, communicates well, and knows how to connect with people in ways that make them feel heard and included,” says Professor Terese Rognmo. “His strong communication skills, confidence in speaking up, and ability to build meaningful connections will make him an effective and compassionate social worker.”
Quezada has shown an aptitude for working with others during his time at Gallaudet. He has experienced a variety of service jobs on campus, such as Peer Advisor in the residence halls and Student Assistant with Student Financial Services.
This semester, Quezada is beginning a new role as a Bison Mentor with the Student Success team. “If I have learned something that can make someone else’s path easier,” he says, “then I believe in passing it forward.”
Ready for more
Quezada is already thinking about what’s next. He plans to get his master’s in social work and hopes to find a job where he can apply his education to policy and law. “For me, social work does not stop with the individual,” he says. “Sometimes helping one person means advocating for change that helps thousands.”
Says Stokar, “When it comes to issues of social justice, Jason is always at the fore — passionate about standing up for the rights of others, and well informed about what’s going on in the world.”
Norma Moran, Student Success and Family Engagement Manager, met Quezada through her work with Nuestra Casa, Gallaudet’s Center for Latine Deaf Studies. “From the moment I met Jason, it was clear that he approaches every opportunity with purpose,” Moran says. “Rather than simply gaining work experience, Jason is intentionally building the skills, relationships, and perspective that align with his major. He does not just look for opportunities; he seizes every moment to learn, contribute, and grow!”
Quezada is appreciative of the unique opportunities that his university experience has provided. “At Gallaudet, no one has to prove that they belong. We already do. What matters is what we do with our space and how we leave it better than we found it.”
Quezada’s parents have seen his growth firsthand. “We are grateful that Gallaudet has given him the opportunity to be part of such an important institution,” says Quezada’s father. Says his mother, “He has been an exemplary son who has set an example for his older brother and for so many members of our family. Seeing our son attend Gallaudet is no surprise to us because giving back to his community has always been part of who he is.”
“My brother is the first person in our family to attend Gallaudet, and I think he’s exactly where he belongs,” says Quezada’s brother Jarmy. “Our community would appreciate having more Latinos in leadership.”
Quezada hopes his journey can be an example for others.
“The hardest part is usually just staying trapped in your own head while opportunities pass you by. I know that firsthand. Trust your integrity and never let temporary self-doubt write your story.”
Opportunity is here at Gallaudet! Check out our Social Work degree tracks.
