Fundraising

Dawn Welters has over 15 years of experience in public and private education, teaching Deaf Education and World Languages (American Sign Language). Dawn’s teaching career was sparked by her mother who was an elementary educator and high school Reading teacher for 35 years before retiring. Dawn remembers her mom stating that once she found her niche, she would know it and she was right!

Dawn (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Key West, Florida. She currently resides in Washington, DC. Dawn is a proud graduate of Gallaudet University, where she received her dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Education. She also has advanced degrees in K-12 Technology Integration and Counseling Psychology. Dawn is currently working on a doctorate in Instructional Technology. 

Dawn began her own teaching career in Florida, working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing students at the middle and high school levels. She taught a variety of academic subjects, though her favorite course to teach was based on self-advocacy and life skills. Her most treasured accomplishment was co-founding/organizing an annual district-wide fair for students with disabilities to learn about their post-secondary opportunities and writing a successful technology grant for iPads in her classroom. Dawn currently works in education technology sales and training for a large tech company.

Dawn caught the travel bug as a contracted teacher, where she had the opportunity to work in Seattle, South Carolina Schools, North Carolina, and online learning academies. Dawn has also worked at both the renowned American School for the Deaf, the first Deaf school in the U.S. where she taught High School Math, as well as South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, where she worked in outreach. She has also worked outside of the classroom as a teacher leader, curriculum developer, mental health outreach coordinator, and accessibility presenter. In addition, Dawn has operated her own non-profit education consulting business.

In 2018, Dawn was granted the opportunity to present at the Disability Intersectional Summit at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her presentation concerned the impact of audism (discrimination based on hearing status) on the Deaf community and how her own intersectional identity as a Deaf, Black woman was impacted by audism. She looks forward to being selected for a TedTalk soon.

In her free time, Dawn enjoys comic books, movies, photography, collecting travel stamps in her passport, crafting, shoe shopping, and all things Disney!