MANSFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - A local student is helping Mansfield police communicate in a new way by teaching them sign language.
Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School senior Catherine Fitzgerald approached officers with the idea to hold a workshop to teach them some basic signs as part of her final project.
And though every senior is required to do a project that leaves a lasting mark on the school, the officers say her idea has reached people far beyond the classroom.
“The project she is working on is going to go well beyond her,” one officer said.
She is part of the criminal justice program at school and has used her knowledge to develop the course and design pocket manuals for officers to keep handy in the field.
Fitzgerald was diagnosed with profound hearing loss from birth.
“Nobody in my family is like me. It’s just me,” Fitzgerald said. “But, I don’t really use that as a crutch or anything. It has actually helped me to be able to do things like this.”
Fitzgerald plans to continue studying criminal justice at Curry College.
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