Elias Pascacio said he is proud that he has overcome a number of life's challenges and is able to help his family. (The Enterprise/Kristina de Leon).
NYSSA – Elias Pascacio, who was born deaf, was primed to shine.
Born to Mexican immigrant parents and raised in a working-class household, the 21-year-old was 3 when he entered pre-school and testing determined that he was deaf.
Pascacio spoke for this story using Julie Smith as an interpreter and his American Sign Language educator, as he is learning ASL.
Smith said everyone knew Pascacio was deaf, but he didn’t get intervention services right away because his parents spoke Spanish.
With Smith’s help, Pascacio recalled how his family would take him to the doctor’s office and would be told to leave . . .
