Hi5 | January 16, 2026

Check out the top five Gallaudet stories for January 2026!

Read the stories and subscribe to Hi5: https://gallaudet.edu/news/

Transcript and links below.

TRANSCRIPT

[An animated Hi5 logo appears on a blue screen. Two drawn hands high-five each other, while text appears below: “hifive”.]

[Stephen Farias, Class of '05, stands in front of a blue background. At the top right is the Gallaudet logo on a white box. On the left are decorative yellow lines. Farias is bald, with a styled goatee and glasses. They wear a gray suit, white shirt, and blue tie.]

Transcript: Happy new year! Welcome to the January 6—

[Five enthusiastic young people jump up from the bottom of the screen. Farias turns and high fives each of them. The young people exit to the left and right. On the right, one young person jumps on the back of another and cheers.]

My name is [sign name] Stephen Farias. I will sign a summary of the top five news stories. Want to learn more about each story? Click on the links in the email or on the website.

#1 From the classroom to the Commanders, Austin Wilson makes an impact

https://gallaudet.edu/business/b-s-in...

Austin Wilson is a Gallaudet student and Business major. Guess what he did this past fall? Interned for the Washington Commanders football team! Austin went to Commanders games and handled different customer service responsibilities. Great job!

#2 Data analyst, coach, and Deaflympics athlete: Emelia Beldon leads the way

Emelia Beldon is a Gallaudet staff member with three roles: Data analyst for the Institutional Research department, Assistant Coach for Women’s Basketball, and Head Coach for Women’s Flag Football. Wow, busy!

And she plays basketball for Deaf Team USA. At the recent Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, she helped lead USA Women’s Basketball team to a silver medal. Handwaves!

#3 Clerc Center reflects excellence during accreditation visit

https://gallaudet.edu/clerc-center/cl...

Recent December, an accreditation team visited Clerc Center for 4 days. Clerc opened its classrooms, residences, and campus for observation and analysis.

What did the accreditation team find? Clerc’s slogan, “Excellence in National Deaf Education”, isn’t just a slogan. It’s an everyday practice!

#4 Alumni Sachiko Flores forges a path in the Deaflympics and at home

https://gallaudet.edu/international-d...

Sachiko Flores is Gallaudet alumni. They have an International Development master’s degree.

This past November, Sachiko competed in the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan. They were in the orienteering competition.

Here in the US, Sachiko founded a nonprofit. It encourages deaf youth to experience the outdoors. Bravo!

#5 Remembering Lillie Ransom and Edward Marshall Wick

https://gallaudet.edu/business/rememb...

Gallaudet fondly looks back on two former professors. Both passed away this past fall and winter.

Dr. Lillie S. Ransom was a Communication Studies Professor and alumni. She was the first Black woman to serve as President of the Maryland School for the Deaf's Board of Trustees.

Edward Marshall Wick was a Business Professor and alumni. He was Gallaudet student body president, Buff and Blue editor, and more.

Your legacies will live on!

The next email will be Hi5 on February 6. For more news, follow @GALLAUDETU on social media. Have a wonderful weekend!