NTID student Blake Culley finds their calling in Deaf education | National Technical Institute for the Deaf | RIT April 23, 2026 by Vienna McGrain NTID student Blake Culley finds their calling in Deaf education Culley will continue teaching at California School for the Deaf, Riverside, and is ready to inspire their students Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share via Email Provided Blake Culley will graduate in May with a master’s degree in Deaf education. They will continue working at California School for the Deaf, Riverside, as a bilingual language arts high school teacher. For Blake Culley, the road to becoming a teacher was anything but traditional. It included work as a school psychologist in Washington, D.C., a cross-country move back to California, and a substitute teaching assignment that unexpectedly changed their path. Culley will graduate in May with a master’s degree in Deaf education from RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf . As Culley completes their student-teaching internship at California School for the Deaf, Riverside, they are anxious to continue working there as a bilingual language arts high school teacher. Originally from Ventura, Calif., Culley earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Gallaudet University. After graduation, they worked for five years as a school psychologist in Washington, D.C. That experience gave Culley a front-row seat to the dedication of classroom teachers and the challenges they face each day. “I saw how hard teachers worked for their students’ successes,” Culley said. “When I was working with teachers and students for evaluations, I often realized I did not fully understand the teachers’ perspectives because I had never been in their role.” When Culley moved back to Riverside, there were no school psychology positions available. They decided to try substitute teaching, thinking it might be a temporary step. Instead, it became a turning point. “To this day, being a substitute teacher has been one of my favorite jobs,” Culley said. “I loved connecting with the students and other teachers.” That experience soon led to a long-term substitute teaching position, which confirmed that being in the classroom was where Culley belonged. While searching for a graduate program that would prepare them to make a real impact, Culley found NTID. “I was told that RIT had a really good credential program for teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students,” Culley said. “I wanted to make sure I applied to a program that created highly qualified teachers, and NTID’s Deaf education program was it.” At NTID, Culley gained practical skills they will carry directly into their own classroom. They studied a variety of teaching styles and techniques designed specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners and Culley deepened their understanding of bilingual instruction in American Sign Language and English, an approach that values language access while helping students thrive academically. Culley also learned how to create fun and creative ASL videos, tools they plan to use with future students to make lessons more engaging and accessible. For Culley, teaching is about more than lesson plans and curricula. It is about building reciprocal relationships built on respect and shared learning. “My favorite part about being in the classroom is connecting with my students,” Culley said. “They learn from me and I learn from them.” Topics deaf community Search RIT This website uses cookies to provide better user experience and functionality. You can control and configure cookies in your web browser. Cookie Statement How to Disable Cookies