It’s a Sign: ASL at EFSC
Recently, I had a chance to chat with EFSC student and small business owner, Afton Johnson, who is well-known in the local wedding industry for her beautiful floral creations.
Afton is truly an artist at heart. Early in her career, her passion for art led her to respond to a Craigslist ad (is Craigslist still a thing?) for a job at a flower shop, where she first learned how to arrange flowers. She worked at the shop for a little over two years before moving on to manage a tattoo shop. Afton claims that this management role is where she earned her “street degree,” learning everything from inventory, to ordering supplies and managing people. But after a few years of doing that, something still felt like it was missing. She wanted more.
Afton’s boyfriend, who worked in construction at the time, noticed how unsettled she was. One day, he stumbled across a useless, beat-up key on a job, looked at the key, and had a vision. He gave the key to Afton and asked her to imagine having a key to her own studio someday. And that marked the beginning of Fern & Curl Designs. As a reminder to always chase her dreams, Afton still has the key hanging from the rearview mirror of her car.
Today, Afton wears a lot of hats. She’s not just a business owner; she’s also a dog mom of four and a chicken mom of six. When you do business with her, she’ll tell you that you’re helping to feed her fur and feather babies. On top of that, Afton goes to EFSC, where she recently signed up to take American Sign Language as a non-degree-seeking student.
It’s easy to suppose that as a business owner, Afton would have wanted to learn ASL so as to make her business more inclusive—at least that’s what I thought—but the real story is much more interesting and personal.
One day, Afton found herself putting together flowers for a wedding in Jacksonville, where one of her best friends—who happens to be a member of the deaf community—lives. After Afton’s wedding responsibilities were over, her friend asked her if she wanted to go out on the town with a group of friends. This was Afton’s first time completely submerged in the deaf community, hanging out with people who only spoke American Sign Language. Not understanding what was being said and not being able to communicate was a humbling experience.
After that night in Jacksonville, Afton continued to learn more about the deaf community through her friend. For her, it wasn’t just about business; her experience sparked a genuine desire to learn ASL so as to be able to communicate with and help raise awareness about that community. So, she signed up to take ASL at Eastern Florida State College (check out our Class Schedule Search tool to see when ASL is offered).
When I asked Afton what she found to be challenging or surprising about the class, she didn’t hesitate to describe how her hands often hurt afterwards. Even though she uses her hands to make bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, and more, she was surprised to learn the extent to which her hands would work differently while learning to sign. We compared it to if you’re used to always doing one type of physical workout, then you change it up. Your body isn’t used to the new workout, and it can take some time to adjust.
I also asked Afton to reveal what she liked most about the class (besides it bringing her closer to being able to connect with the deaf community), and she mentioned that her instructor, Vickey Steigerwald, makes learning enjoyable and fun. As an example, she cited the all-silent dinner assignment she was headed to with her classmates after our interview, where they would be expected to navigate the experience as a deaf person would, without verbal communication.
To wrap up our conversation, I asked Afton what advice she has for other students thinking about learning a new language, as well as what’s next for her personally.
Afton said her biggest piece of advice is to get comfortable with getting out of your comfort zone. Learning something new can be intimidating, but when you’re in a classroom, it helps to remind yourself that everyone is there for the same reason. It’s new to all of you, so you’re not alone!
As for her next adventure, Afton is already signed up to take American Sign Language II as she continues to run her business—and perhaps one day you’ll see her on campus wrapping up her Bachelor’s degree, too.
- It’s a Sign: ASL at EFSC - August 10, 2022
- Want To Plan Events for a Living? - June 15, 2022
- Building the Bridge to Success - February 9, 2022
