Uma Gokhale Soman – Fulfilling an International Dream

Uma Gokhale Soman, born in Pune, India, graduated from the Smith College/Clarke Graduate Program in Teacher Education in 2003, but her first teaching role model was her mother. Uma’s mother trained to be a teacher of the deaf after Uma’s younger sister was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss.

“My mother’s efforts and my sister’s success have been my inspiration,” Uma says.

While working toward her own Diploma in Deaf Education in India, one of Uma’s practicum supervisors, herself a graduate of the Smith/Clarke program, recommended that Uma apply. Soon Uma was on her way to the U.S. and to Clarke’s Northampton campus.

“When I came to Clarke I was half way around the world and didn’t know anyone. But never for a minute did I feel lonely. All the people at Clarke were so warm, and generous with their time and knowledge. There was always a feeling of being a part of a community.”

Students in the Smith/Clarke program live on campus and interact with Clarke children daily, both in inside and outside the classroom, something Uma found particularly valuable.

“It is the best training ground you can hope for. You get the chance to see all the theory in action. The experience of interacting with the kids at lunch, in the classroom or at study hall was as important as the experience we got through our classes.”

Uma values her supervising teachers as true mentors. “You could see their dedication to these children through everything they did. They helped me find my personal strengths and develop my own unique style of teaching.”

After graduation, Uma worked for two years at Clarke’s Jacksonville campus and now teaches at Mama Lere Hearing School at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN. She loves to share her Clarke experience with others.

“The Smith/Clarke program opened up many doors for me. I have had many networking opportunities that will help me achieve my goal of going back to my hometown in India and starting a school for children who have a hearing loss. Plus, I have made many lifelong friends. When I applied to the program back in 2001, I did not realize how life-changing it would be. Clarke is like a big family that just keeps growing. I feel very proud to be part of that.”

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