A Letter From Your Hostess

Hello, everyone!

My name is Ruth and I am your hostess on Bake it With Sass! I am so glad you decided to join us. 

I am a Deaf Black baker who enjoys making people smile through delicious treats. From brownies to coconut cake to smores bars, I love whipping up just about anything in the kitchen. It is my happy place.

Growing up was tough as the only Deaf person in my immediate family as well as in my social circles until high school. Sadly, ASL wasn't introduced to me by anyone; I had to find out about it on my own. Within the first month of ASL classes at the American School for the Deaf, I fell in love. It was so much easier than staring at someone's lips trying to figure out what the heck all those sounds were supposed to mean. Lip reading is not as easy as many think. Imagine a 1000-piece puzzle and you don't get to see the picture before you start. THAT is lipreading. Unless I know the context of the conversation and am able to see the person clearly (facial expressions especially), I am lost. 

Fast forward to college, I felt more comfortable being me. For the first time, I had friends who truly wanted to get to know me and I was more open with them because of their genuine curiosity. Typically, I hid my hearing aids because I was afraid of people judging me before they got to know more than my name. A lot of my anger, disappointment, and sadness were stuffed down deep inside because I didn't have a healthy alternative. I was constantly left out and felt inferior when sitting in a hearing classroom. 

Now that I know ASL and have genuine friends who love me for who I am and not who I had to pretend to be. I feel so much closer to God and I finally feel free - free to be me.

Whether you are fluent in ASL or learning, I hope that these courses will help you grow as a baker!

Sincerely,

The Sassy Baker