Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Tubert.
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a first-generation American, with my dad immigrating to the United States from Argentina. When I was three, a surgeon severed my facial nerve paralyzing the right side of my face and taking my hearing in an operation I did not need. I used to ask my mother, “Why am I the only one with a crooked smile and a hearing aid?” She would say, “I don’t know why, but this is your journey. Let’s see what we can do with it.” That was the quote I lived by and it made me who I am today. I am the type of person who loves to show people that you can do anything you set your mind to. I am an actress, Captain of the USA National Deaf Women’s Volleyball team, a signer of songs, with my latest one being a collaboration with DisneyMusicVevo for the song “Show Yourself” from Frozen II. I am also a motivational speaker, with the dream to inspire people and show that everyone has a journey… let’s see what we can do with it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I like to think that all the obstacles I have faced made me who I am today. I have learned and grown in my life through my journey. Growing up, I faced a lot of differences, I went to a private school and thought I was the dumbest one in class because I couldn’t hear the teacher. The school wanted me to repeat the first grade, but instead, my mom, who is a researcher, found a school that had a program where there were two teachers in a classroom, one spoke, and one used American Sign Language (ASL) and there were Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students all integrated into the classroom. and for the first time, I didn’t feel alone. I went from being the dumbest one in class to becoming a leader! That elementary school shaped me to learn about acceptance. I also come from a family who is in the entertainment industry, and I absolutely love that industry, but I never thought I could be a part of it because I’m Deaf and have a crooked smile.
I’ve never seen anyone who looks like me in the industry, so I decided to shift gears to become a teacher, but it wasn’t until my dad came up to me and told me that a casting director friend of his has a role that she thought would be a perfect fit for me, I had that internal struggle with myself of, should I do it? Would I be able to get the role? and something in me just shifted and I decided why not? So I auditioned and booked my first ever tv show role! It was for the show “Switched at Birth” and unfortunately my scene did get cut but that moment was pivotal in my life because I realized that I could be an actress and I want to break the glass ceiling and show people that you don’t have to be this perfect cookie-cutter actress and that there is no such thing as a perfect person! So through that internal struggle, I discovered my passion!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actress and I sign ASL songs, with my first one being Hamilton which went viral and Lin-Manuel Miranda reposted and shared it! I have a few projects in the works right now that I can’t talk about but stay tuned! I just released a podcast with my best friend called “What the Deaf?!” (Releasing Jan. 1, 2021) Where we invite our audience to get a rare, unfiltered look inside the daily lives of two young women who happen to be Deaf! Answer all burning questions, and share our journeys of dating, college, working, and living in a hearing world, where their voices are in our hands! I am the captain of the USA National Deaf women’s Volleyball team where we travel all over the world to play against other Deaf athletes from different countries!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Masks and being Deaf don’t go together! That I miss the human connection and hugs, especially my grandparents. It makes me cherish my family and loved ones even more.
Contact Info:
- Email: sarah@whatthedeaf.com
- Website: WhatTheDeaf.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahtubert/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthedeaf
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatthedeaf
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChlvmpkvgsc2fR9rAVTYQew
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/et15phonehome
Image Credits
Headshot- Daniel Reichert What the Deaf- What the Deaf Productions
