Well, he is more than amazingly attractive, that’s for sure.
I watched Nyle on season 22 of "America’s Next Top Model" as the only Deaf contestant to ever be on the show. As his journey through the competition continued, my friend and I would always text and talk about Nyle and how much we wanted him to win.
But really, who is this guy and why is he so important?
According to his website, he was born into a large Deaf family. He also graduated from Gallaudet University, a liberal arts University and the only one the world for the Deaf.
Not only is this gorgeous man educated but he also helped develop the app “The ASL App,” or American Sign Language App. Additionally, he is an advocate for a community that doesn’t get talked about too often.
Though plans were different for him, a small role in the movie In The Can, which incorporates American Sign Language into it, lead him to the success he has now. After acting for a bit, he got into modeling and coincidentally won season 22 of "America’s Next Top Model." Currently, he is on "Dancing With The Stars."
Here is a clip of him doing a commercial for an America’s Next Top Model endorsed deodorant.
Aside from Nyle being one of the most attractive models I’ve ever seen...
There is more to him. Being born Deaf, he had to overcome certain challenges growing up. He also moved quite a bit, in his own words, “in pursuit of good quality Deaf education.”
A video from his Youtube gives us a sneak peak into his life.
DiMarco received a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and as he did that, he traveled the world and worked with many Deaf communities to help with their abilities. After this, he went to Deaf schools and discussed how to travel and still get a good education.
Being a current student taking an American Sign Language class, I have developed an appreciation for the use of the language. Obviously, I have no idea what it’s like to grow up Deaf because I am hearing. However, learning about the language and about the culture has showed me that it’s a lot more important than most people think.
A lot of people in the Deaf Community know of DiMarco because he is such a strong individual. According to my current ASL teacher, who is also Deaf, “…he is definitely a true representative of strong Deaf person, identity, visual language and culture!”
With such positive remarks from his community, it’s not surprising that his success has led him in the right direction.
Nyle DiMarco is showing the world a Deaf person gaining national media attention. With him becoming so influential, he can bring awareness to Deaf culture; an awareness that most people do not see if they are not in it. DiMarco is an advocate for the Deaf Community and a true definition of a strong leader.
