CONGRATULATIONS Support Person of the Year

Facilitating communication between Deaf and hearing individuals has been Amy Ziev’s passion for more than 32 years. In her role as Educational Sign Language Interpreter Coordinator, Ziev connects staff with resources, skill development opportunities and mentorship so they can best support student success. She began working with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing people at the age of 18 and has dedicated her career to improving communication for DHH individuals. Ziev, whose role ranges from helping students in classes to interpreting at meetings, believes communication is the foundation for connecting people. As a founding member of the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE), she also supports other interpreters’ growth. Her flexibility, patience and compassion has played a crucial part in her effectiveness.

With almost 20 years of service to ESE students, Susan Scheuer goes beyond the classroom to ensure student success. She spends many hours off campus with students in the Community Based Vocational Education program, which prepares students with hands-on workforce skills. Moving between the bakery and floral department, Scheuer helps students develop knowledge that will help them find work after graduation. Seeing students become independent and advocate for themselves is her daily inspiration. A welcoming face at Freedom High, “Coach Sue” has also served as the Special Olympics coach for more than 15 years. She implemented the Unified Sports program at Freedom High, which brings athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together to train, play and compete. In 2019, Freedom High was recognized as a Unified Champion School with National Banner status, the only OCPS school in the district to achieve this recognition.