For more than 50 years, The Learning Center for the Deaf has been home to students and graduates in the broader Deaf community. The Alumni connection is personal, cherished, and valued. This page aims to ensure Alumni connections remain vibrant and strong, while providing opportunities to connect and reminisce.
2026 Bratica Brunch/Former Staff Gathering
2025 Reunion
David Schwab Alumni Award
The TLC David Schwab Alumni Award ((formerly Alumni Award for Service) was inaugurated in 2021 to recognize the service and contributions of alumni of TLC during their years after being an enrolled student. In 2021, in honor of our 50th anniversary, TLC presented inaugural alumni award for service to the TLC Alumni Association.
The award is presented annually at our Homecoming in honor of an individual alumnus or alumna or group of alumni/ae who have devoted time and energy to engaging alumni in the TLC community.
2026: Ben Wagenknecht ('92)
Originally from Colombia, South America, Ben was adopted at age three by the Wagenknecht family. His adoptive parents searched high and low for an educational program that would best fit his needs before finally finding TLC. Following his time here, Ben earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Gallaudet University, followed by a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation from the University of North Texas in 2008.
For the past 21 years, Ben has dedicated his career to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, serving as the Director for the Office on Deaf and Hard of Hearing for the last 18 years. His leadership covers all 82 counties in Mississippi, making his office a vital resource for the Deaf and hard of hearing communities across the state. His nominator strongly believes he is deeply deserving of this recognition.
2025: Kade West
Since graduating, Kade has become a recognized voice for Deaf representation, behavioral and mental health awareness, and inclusive access to education and leadership development. His work has centered on bridging gaps between Deaf culture and broader systems, ensuring that Deaf youth—especially those navigating additional challenges—see themselves not as problems to be fixed, but as potential to be activated.
Kade embodies what this award represents: continued impact, meaningful service, and community-rooted leadership. Honoring him would not only recognize his work, but also affirm to countless others that being unapologetically Deaf, different, and determined is a path worth celebrating.
2024: Kyle Florio ('22), Luke McBrine ('22), and Jeremy Novas ('24)
Our winners are exemplary students, athletes, and mentors within the Deaf community. Their time at TLC included numerous championships, awards, and school records for athletic achievements.
Most recently, this past summer, all three young men were selected to join the Deaf International Basketball Federation U21 World Team. They traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they, along with their teammates, proudly took home CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD for Team USA!
This is the first time in TLC history that three Alumni have been chosen simultaneously to represent Deaf athletics on an elite, international stage. This honor is a direct result of the discipline, commitment, and confidence that all three of our Alumni have displayed on and off the court. Deaf youth across the globe were able to follow and watch these young men and the entire USA team and become inspired to always follow their passion.
2023: Shayna Unger
In 2015, Shayna, with her partner Scott Lehmann, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro. In 2020, they became the first all-deaf team to summit Aconcagua in South America. In 2021, they climbed Denali, becoming the first all-deaf team to reach the summit of North America’s tallest mountain. And if that were not enough, in 2023, Shayna and Scott reached the top of Mount Everest, making remarkable history as only the third and fourth Deaf people to summit Mount Everest. Shayna is the first Deaf woman - ever, to accomplish such an extraordinary feat.
2022: Jeffrey Mansfield
Jeff is a designer, writer, and Deaflympic athlete working to advance architecture that is just and beautiful and to expand the Deaf Sports movement. Jeff is a three-time Gold Medalist, winning Gold at the 2007 and 2019 Winter Deaflympics and the 2017 World Ice Hockey Championships. Previously, he was a John W. Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress and a Graham Foundation Grantee for his project, "The Architecture of Deafness.
Share Your Story
We always welcome stories and cherished memories from your time at TLC. Click here to send us your brief written or video story, and we may ask you to part of our marketing and Alumni relations outreach!
Update Your Information
Did you recently move? Change email addresses? We want to make sure we can get in touch with you! Click here to share your updated information.
Schedule a Visit
We look forward to seeing our Alumni on campus to show them new, and cherished rooms, and memories from their time here as a student. As a reminder, visitors must first fill out an inquiry form. We are unable to accommodate visitors who arrive unexpectedly on campus. Thank You!
Our Residential Program Changes Students Lives
These stories provide a deepened understanding of the benefit a Residential Program can offer a Deaf child, including language access, independence, life skills, and more.
The Impact of our Residential Program
Being surrounded by Deaf peers and mentors is truly transformative. At TLC, students gain confidence, form lasting social connections, and embracing their Deaf identity.
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