It was an honor and a pleasure to have worked with Gerardo when we taught high schools in Washington State. My mentor and I were able to connect on a level that went beyond our collaborative teaching. Being able to mentor Gerardo on the same visionary path was helpful. My collaboration with him was encouraging, virtuous, and great. We still keep in touch while teaching at colleges. Vijay Advani, Colin College, ASL Professor |
Having the fortune of working with Gerardo Di Pietro in Gallaudet University's Masters in Sign Language Education program, I immediately noticed Gerardo's gregarious and compassionate nature as he interacted with the professors in the program and with his classmates (and future colleagues!) His incredibly storied and diverse professional experiences as an American Sign Language professor is evident in his class contributions and his very supportive mentorship approach in working with his classmates. He is highly professional and passionate about the field of ASL teaching. He is also a natural leader and a very effective team player. I am positive that Gerardo will be a tremendous asset to any employer he chooses to work for.
Raychelle Harris, Gallaudet University, ASL Professor |
As the department chairperson and a colleague, I have been able to see the contributions Gerardo has made to the ASL program at Berkeley City College. He is conscientious, reliable, attentive and an active participant. He endeavors to have collaborative teamwork at all levels and appreciates diversity. His goal is always to strengthen our program and promote language acquisition in ASL instruction. From my observations of Gerardo in the classroom, he clearly loves to teach and genuinely cares about the students. He works with them outside of class as well to help them improve their skills and develop better strategies for learning in class. He is a gem to our program and college.
Iva Ikeda, Berkeley City College American Sign Language Program Chair & Instructor |
At Berkeley City College, I was a student taking Classifiers course under Gerardo Di Pietro. He gave me an enthusiastic boost in ASL as a language. Also, Professor Di Pietro became a great model in storytelling and sharing the love for ASL! We are planning a monthly ASL poetry and storytelling night. He helped with that idea and even gave us the name “ASL Epic.” He not only inspired ASL performances with us in San Francisco. I will never forget how much I improved in developing storytelling in class and how Di Pietro helped me develop my own self identity as a late Deaf/hard of hearing person.
Burness (Burnie) Gipson III, San Francisco ASL Epic Open Show
Burness (Burnie) Gipson III, San Francisco ASL Epic Open Show
I was very impressed with Gerardo's abilities and talents to work with children/youth/adults and lead with variety of student organizations at Gallaudet University successfully. His skills often take years to develop among personal growth and professional coming from Personal Discovery Program, but it seems to be very naturally for Gerardo. Recently, I am thrilled to see Gerardo again that he is studying Sign Language Education in Masters Arts. Yes it is just right for him to teach and share beautiful American Sign Language with everyone. He always gave the positive energy and vibes to people in whom he loves to work with.
Sarah Doleac, Gallaudet University, Physical Education Professor & Discovery Coordinator
Sarah Doleac, Gallaudet University, Physical Education Professor & Discovery Coordinator
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