Silent no more: Maryville College grad Khalie Cleveland ’23 sees the world open up thanks to her perseverance and experience
June 16, 2023
Growing up in Brevard County, Florida, Khalie Cleveland ’23 remembers the first six years of her life as idyllic: beach trips and backyard picnics, watching her grandfather labor under the hood of automobiles, and spending time with her parents and three siblings.
But then she contracted spinal meningitis, and her life changed forever. The fever faded, the headaches and stiffness subsided, and her stomach settled … but her hearing was gone, and between the ages of 6 and 12, she remembers little except for the fear of being a little girl lost in a soundless void.
“Whenever I try to remember that time, I honestly can’t tell you what happened in my life,” she says. “There are some moments that I do remember, like when I was lying in the hospital bed, terrified, because I didn’t know what was happening, even though I was actually going in for surgery to get my cochlear implant.”
Fast-forward 18 years, to May 6, 2023: Now that, she adds, is a day she remembers clearly. Overcast, cool but not chilly, and a sea of black robes as friends and fellow Maryville College seniors joined her in receiving diplomas. Crossing the stage between Fayerweather and Anderson Halls, shaking the hand of MC President Dr. Bryan Coker … the smiles she could see, the diploma she could touch, the joy that filled her heart: All of it, she says, was the fulfillment of a dream that she wasn’t always certain she would realize.
“Commencement felt like a weight lifted off of my shoulders,” she says. “It felt like an obstacle had been passed; like I could breathe again, knowing that I am fully capable of finding a way — because where there is a will, there is a way. The significance of that day didn’t dawn on me until President Coker was sharing his final words with the graduating class, and I just looked at the sky and this sense of accomplishment, pride, relief and courage just swept over me.
“I never imagined I would make it past high school, let alone earn a bachelor’s degree. I still cry from how proud and inspired I am by myself — by my commitment, willpower, resilience and courage. Commencement was a milestone in my life and a bridge to my future.”
A setback, not a life sentence
The shock and trauma of going deaf at such a young age was a difficult hurdle to overcome. A cochlear implant helped some, she says, but it’s unlikely she’ll ever regain 100% of her hearing, and the gossamer waves of sounds that do get through are often as puzzling as the silence is vast.
“I only really hear sounds. I can’t understand speech yet, even though there might be moments when I hear something and can maybe make out the word,” she says. “At the end of the day, I’m still deaf, and that’s OK. I started learning to be OK with being deaf when I met Wendy Sanders.”
Sanders was Cleveland’s first sign language teacher, and helping her learn an alternative method of communication — as well as teaching it to her loved ones — made the world far less lonely and frightening, Cleveland says. As her brain adjusted to the loss of one sense, however, others became more complex.
“As I grew up, the world started presenting itself in more vibrations and colors than I could have ever expected,” she says. “‘Vibrations’ and ‘colors’ are more a figure of speech for me: Vibrations represent vibes from people, and colors represent a person’s true color.”
Developing her intuition has helped, but the challenges remain. Membership in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities has given her peers who share in those struggles, but friendships with those who don’t have a hearing loss can be difficult, she adds.
“My speech isn’t ‘normal,’ my ears don’t work, I’m not a professional lip-reader, and I’m most definitely not as outgoing as I wish I was,” she says. “There are a lot of obstacles that I face daily besides communication barriers, like the confidence in myself to order at a restaurant; fear of being spoken to and thought of as rude and dismissive when I don’t acknowledge or reply to people who speak to me; and I would personally say that it has been a challenge for me to meet new people and have a friendship with them.”
At the end of the day, she says, it’s not sound, per se, that she misses most. It’s the nuances of those sounds that so many take for granted until they can no longer hear them: the joy in unexpected laughter, ocean waves rolling up the beach, leaves crunching underfoot in the fall. Music. Conversation. Being able to multitask while talking to someone because she doesn’t have to watch their hands for signs.
“There are some very, very small things in our lives every day that we don’t notice until we notice they’re not there anymore,” she says.
A Scot arises
Her desire for community and the need to surround herself with open-minded individuals who don’t just accommodate deafness but work to be inclusive and understanding are some of the things that led her to Maryville College. The small class sizes didn’t hurt, and the possibilities in the finance/accounting program met another lifelong need, she says.
“I grew up with a lot of financial instability my whole life,” she says. “Money terrified me. It still does. Money is what humans live and breathe, and it determines our fate in life. Want a good life? Have money. Want a comfortable life? Have money. Want an outstanding reputation? Have money. Want access to good healthcare, schools, and housing? Have money. Everything in life is controlled by money.”
Growing up without, she adds, made her view money as “the enemy” — and so in following the old adage to keep friends close but enemies closer, she seized the opportunity to major in finance/accounting as a desire to better understand the role money plays in society and day-to-day life.
“I took my first accounting class at Cleveland State Community College and fell in love,” she says. “I don’t think I can even put into words how fascinating accounting was for me and how fascinating it still is for me. One thing lead to another, and here I am, four years later, with a degree in Finance/Accounting and a minor in Data Analysis.”
It wasn’t easy, but like all of the challenges that came before the rigors of obtaining a college degree, she persevered. Along the way, doors opened in unexpected places, and her journey as a Scot took some unexpected turns. Case in point: In high school, Cleveland was a wrestler and on the track and field team, and so when Maryville College re-launched its own program with the construction of the Austin Coleman Piper Memorial Track, she thought she’d found another outlet for her time and talents.
“Unfortunately, I had to withdraw from the team before we started competing due to schedule conflicts — and a big part of that conflict was actually my internship at Tennessee Valley Authority,” she says. “Sometimes there’s a trade-off in life, and this one was definitely worth it!”
With a little help from her friends
During her time at MC, Cleveland encountered numerous members of the faculty and staff who helped her turn her fledgling interest in finance into a career. Dr. Sarah Clinton, associate professor of finance; Rebecca Treadway, associate professor of accounting; and Dr. Jenifer Greene, professor of management — she considers them among her biggest academic influences. Director Kelly Fitzgerald and Assistant Director Debbie Stietenroth of MC’s Office of Disability Resources and Accessibility made that academic journey easier, she adds, but it’s clear that Cleveland made an equal impact on those with whom she interacted.
“(Khalie) is a truly remarkable young woman who is as determined as anyone I know,” says Dr. Walter Grubb, an academic coach in MC’s TRIO Student Support Services program. “She overcame significant financial and personal hardships to graduate with a bright future ahead. She will not let her hearing loss keep her from being a successful professional. I became a fan of Khalie’s the moment I met her.”
Another Khalie Cleveland fan: Stephanie Collins, former internship and equity coordinator with the MC Career Center. During Cleveland’s search for an internship opportunity, Collins suggested the Tennessee Valley Authority, the federally owned electric utility corporation created during the Great Depression as a means of bringing economic improvement to the South. The more Cleveland looked into the company’s history and work culture, the more intrigued she became.
“My breath was taken away, because TVA seemed like a genuine company that really cares about and prioritizes the people of the Tennessee Valley,” she says. “The culture and the atmosphere seemed amazing and so very welcoming. I genuinely believed that TVA’s values aligned with mine, so, I took a chance and worked with Stephanie and Rebecca to apply to TVA.
“It just felt right, like, I just knew this was the place for me to be. I feel like TVA broadened my career path by showing me what I am capable of, and because there are so many opportunities within the company, all I can do is grow!”
What started out as an accounting internship has led to full-time employment, and Cleveland has every intention of making it her “forever” employment as well, she adds.
“My goal is to retire there,” she says. “Before retirement, though, I plan to pursue a master’s degree and try to become a certified public accountant (CPA). Within the company, I hope to continue to grow and find myself in higher positions one day, so I can continue to make positive impacts throughout the company and the valley.”
A two-way legacy
Certainly, she’s made a positive impact at Maryville College, and the College, she says, has made a similar impression on her. From the old trees dotting the campus lawn to the Maryville College Woods … from the ornate halls of learning to the deep and complex 200-year history … Cleveland came to MC in search of herself, and she left it not only as a Scot, but as a successful career-minded woman who refuses to let challenges dissuade her from a journey toward greatness.
“I will miss how it felt to be part of a group that fought for change, that fought for inclusion and diversity, and most importantly, to ensure that each and every one of us knows we are loved, valued, and remembered,” she says. “All of us are a big part of campus — part of the soul of Maryville College.”
MC, she continues, gave her a sense of pride — a dignity she carries forth into a bright future, knowing that she serves as an ambassador of the institution, and that she’s left it a better place than she found it. Her presence, voice and determination, she feels, made a difference, and reflecting on her time at MC, she recalls the words of the late Maiah Reilich-Godino, who died in a 2020 accident two months into her first year at MC but who nevertheless made a profound impact.
“Similar to Maiah, I believe that a raindrop has the power to send ripples across an ocean,” she says, echoing the sentiment expressed at Reilich-Godino’s memorial service. “One small act of kindness and support will impact others and influence them to follow. I am extremely thankful to all of my friends and peers at Maryville College, because each and every single one of them had a significant impact on me and who I am. I couldn’t have made it this far without all of them.”
