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The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) is proud that it is able to produce and develop leader-advocates who are capable and committed to making positive contributions to their communities, organizations, and the nation at large.
To recognize outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions to the Deaf community, SDEAS opened nominations for awards in the areas of leadership, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and professionalism. Apart from Iñigo Asilo who won the Outstanding Deaf Entrepreneur Award, there was another individual who rose above and proved that what she has done is worthy of an award, and that is Mira Frigillano.
In 2022, Mira was awarded the Outstanding Deaf Professional Award during the SDEAS Alumni Summit of the same year. According to the SDEAS Alumni Awards Screening Committee, a nominee should meet the following criteria in order to receive the Outstanding Deaf Professional Award:
- Has worked with the same company or organization for at least 3 years
- Demonstrates consistent excellence within the workplace as validated by awards, performance ratings, supervisor feedback, etc.
- Exemplifies the corporate values of the organization that they are a part of
- Demonstrated the characteristics of a Benildean leader advocate within the workplace by initiating at least 1 activity for Deaf access or inclusion and/or furthering work opportunities for the Deaf
Mira has worked as a sales and marketing associate for Adphoto, Inc for over nine years. During her time with the organization, she has already received three awards from the company in addition to the monetary incentives she is given due to her exemplary performance.
She is also diligent with the content that she shares via her Facebook where she has become a medium for other Deaf individuals who want to learn more about photography and video editing. She also encourages them to send her a message if they want a deeper dive into the world of photography.
As a professional, Mira improves her skills through research and self-study. She is also keen on taking the initiative to learn things on her own without being supervised by anyone.
For now, Mira’s company is yet to hire other Deaf employees due to the limited availability of work opportunities. But her manager did admit that they are willing to hire another Deaf individual as long as they possess good design and communication skills.
As the forerunner in her company, Mira believes that it is important to continue working well so that she can prove to everybody that the Deaf are just as capable as the hearing. As she aptly pointed out, “We are all humans after all.”
