Stephanie Logan, MU American Sign Language professor, has had the same desk for 28 years. 

When she moved from Georgia to Missouri 28 years ago to be the first employee of a new non-profit, DeafLEAD, Logan’s first task was to head to Office Depot to purchase a desk to fill her donated office space. Since then, the desk has been a fixture in her workspace.

DeafLEAD is an organization that aims to provide Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late-Deafened and DeafBlind individuals with resources and support for a variety of circumstances including crisis intervention and mental health advocacy, while acting as a national backup center for 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

After becoming a Late-Deafened individual at age 23, Logan has made sure that DeafLEAD is easily accessible to everyone by offering crisis lines that are text and videophone compatible. Since its formation in 1995, she has expanded the organization from a one-woman show to one that employs 300 people in 30 states by leading countless initiatives within the organization. 

Every grant Logan has ever written for DeafLEAD has originated from the same desk. It’s also seen her rise to CEO of the organization.

“It has moved every time the agency has moved,” Logan said. “There are metal bars underneath that desk holding it up because I’m not getting rid of that desk until I’m gone. It is my representation of everything.”

After setting up the foundation of the organization, Logan got straight to business, creating DeafLEAD with the intent to provide individuals and their families support.

Then, a local church contacted Logan, asking her to teach a few classes on sign language. Originally, she was less than enthusiastic.

“You know [how] some kids [are] like ‘let’s play teacher?’ That was not my game,” Logan said. “I had no desire at all to teach the language.” 

Regardless, Logan agreed to teach a six week course for the individuals who were interested.

“I absolutely fell in love with teaching,” Logan said. “It was like I was changing their lives. The impact on my life was extraordinary.”

From there, Logan began to work on her Ph.D. at MU, while pursuing a minor in college teaching.

In order to get the minor, it’s a requirement that students teach a class on campus. This prompted Logan to ask her advisor if she could instruct a class on American Sign Language and Deaf culture. In turn, this requirement blossomed into the current ASL program at MU.

“[My advisor] literally stood up [and] walked down the hall to the program chair… we got it set up so that I could start teaching,” Logan said. “I maybe had 13 students in that very first class. Since that semester, the very next semester, they let me teach it again and it was full within minutes.” 

The class has since been full every semester for 20 years, according to Logan.

Logan teaches American Sign Language 1100, 1200 and 2150 at MU, and she’s always looking for ways to blend her two passions — leading DeafLEAD and teaching ASL. She makes this happen by hiring former students to work as crisis counselors at DeafLEAD or by collaborating with organizations around campus.

“I love my job,” Logan said. “I love what I do at the university and I love what I do [at DeafLEAD]. I’m constantly looking for opportunities to marry the two.”

Edited by Annie Goldman | agoldman@themaneater.com 

Copy Edited by Bella Zielinski and Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com