American Sign Language professor DeAnn Sampley will be retiring this semester.

Sampley has dedicated 36 years of ASL teaching to Bakersfield College and now wants to do mission work for a non-profit organization called Children to Love International, where they reach out to orphans in Romania, India, and Uganda.

“You just know when it’s time,” Sampley said regarding her retirement.

She said the thing she’ll miss most are her students, getting to know them, listening to their stories and being part of their lives.

“Words can’t describe it on what I’ve learned from my students,” she said. “I’m going to miss them terribly. Being here for 36 years, the thousands of students I was able to encourage in life and academically. What an honor to be part of their lives.”

Sampley first learned ASL when she attended BC in 1972.

“When I learned ASL at Bakersfield College, it really kept me in school,” she said. “It gave me a passion, it gave me a drive to finish my degree.”

She started teaching at BC in 1978. Before that, her first teaching position was at Taft College, also teaching ASL, and after that teaching physical education at Clovis High and Taft High School.

“The deaf community as a whole, I count it as an honor and a privilege to teach ‘their’ language,” Sampley said.

Peter Campbell, a full-time student, took ASL for the first time and says it was a wonderful experience. “Unfortunately, we’re losing out big time,” he said. “She’s retiring and is going to take all her skills and talents with her.”