By: Sam Mitchell
November 9, 2026
Thursday, November 5, Vickie D’Avanzo, the CEO of Stellar Support Services and the Sasquatch of Sharon visited Thiel College to share information about the lives of deaf and hearing impaired people in the Maenpa Court.
D’Avanzo started the event in the Academic Center in Kara Schreckenghost’s Special Education 440 class. She shared with the students an emotional story about a family member with down syndrome and how the family was affected.
She encouraged the future educators to be patient, be kind, and be understanding of everyone.
Stellar’s CEO also shared the history behind the company.
“We provide face to face support either one-on-one or in small groups, in the home or the community. Our goal is to assist in learning, maintaining and improving personal care, home care, and adaptive skills. We focus on the areas of communication, socialization, mobility, fine and gross motor, relationship development and using community resources,” says the Stellar Support Systems website.
After the classroom visit, at 11:30 a.m., Thiel College students gathered in the Maenpa Court to experience the story behind the Sasquatch of Sharon and his life with deafness.
As a polylingual person including American Sign Language, D’Avanzo translated between the students asking questions and the Sasquatch of Sharon.
Students asked many questions ranging from “why the Sasquatch?” to “what language do you think in?” and many in between.
The Sasquatch of Sharon taught the students how to sign a few words in American Sign Language. He taught them “friends,” “Thiel College,” “I love you” and “Roll Cats!”
The students of Thiel College were eager to learn more about the Sasquatch of Sharon and he was very excited to share his story.
The Sasquatch of Sharon and Thiel College’s Tommy the Tomcat sign “I love you” in American Sign Language. Photo taken by Sam Mitchell.
