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“I will be signing the national anthem on stage, standing right next to the soloist,” says the Farmington, Minnesota, native who completed her American Sign Language certificate along with her bachelor’s degree in psychology.

“It just so happens that I personally know two deaf families who will be attending commencement, so it feels like sort of high stakes, but I’m honored and excited to serve as interpreter for the anthem at my ceremony,” Snesrud says.

Snesrud began learning ASL as a high school student and then completed the ASL certificate by the end of her sophomore year at UW-Eau Claire. She has since served as a teaching assistant in ASL classrooms to keep her skills sharp and this fall also signed the national anthem at Blugold football games in Carson Park.

The faculty member for whom Snesrud has been a teaching assistant is Kristin Scheibe, senior lecturer of ASL in the department of communication sciences and disorders. She says she has been grateful for the ways in which Snesrud has elected to assist other ASL learners in classes and to provide interpretation to the deaf community at campus events. 

“I appreciate Elle’s dedication and openness to deaf culture and American Sign Language,” Scheibe says. “Her understanding and support can significantly impact lives, mainly when communication barriers exist. Elle’s commitment is truly commendable.”

Next steps

After graduation, Snesrud will be leaving for Orlando, Florida, where she has been hired for the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World Resort. The program offers current college students and recent graduates a four- to eight-month internship experience in various public-facing roles in the parks, along with optional career development courses.

“I learned about this program during middle school, and have always been determined to apply,” Snesrud says. “I will be working in the retail merchandise part of the business — I’m really excited for this dream come true.”

Snesrud says that she hasn’t made any solid plans after her Disney experience but hopes to find a career focus in the field of industrial organizational psychology, the topic of her psychology capstone project.

“The field is essentially the psychology of corporate operations, examining areas like human resources, employee efficiency and satisfaction, as well as talent acquisition,” she says.

“It takes the two things that I love — business and psychology — and combines them; that’s my ultimate goal.”