When Eric was 9 years old, he left CID to attend public schools without the use of interpreters and note-takers. It was not until he was 16 years old when he was exposed to the “real” deaf world when he became the youngest starter on the United States Deaf Olympic Water Polo team that went to the World Games for the Deaf in Cologne, Germany. This was where he first learned a little sign language.

It was not until late in his senior year of high school that he decided to attend Rochester Institute of Technology, where they had a large program for deaf students as well. It was at RIT where he learned to become fluent in sign language and learned more about the deaf culture. It was also at RIT that he learned through his fellow students more about the barriers, setbacks, and/or situations of oppression that deaf and hard of hearing people often encounter.

Eric then joined a local fraternity, becoming its vice-president immediately after he completed the pledge program and worked with them to become a chapter of a national fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, where he spearheaded the process of quickly converting it from a colony to a chapter and served as its first Chapter president. While serving a second term, a historical moment occurred in the deaf community where there was a student protest at Gallaudet University, where Eric worked with some of his fellow student to form a committee at RIT to show their support. These people went down to Washington, D.C and joined them on a march to the Capitol Hill.

This was a major turning point for Eric as it really inspired him to help try to make changes in the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people for the better. After getting back to Rochester from this march, he decided to run for election of the NTID Student Congress (NSC), the student body government for the 1,500+ deaf students that attended RIT. While serving as President of the NSC, he spearheaded a process that made significant changes in the school for the deaf students.

Upon graduating from RIT with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, and being the first deaf person to do so at RIT,

After taking two years off to travel extensively around the world, he decided to go back to his second goal that he had, joining an organization that caters to the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people. After doing research, he came across Communication Service of the Deaf (CSD), a non-profit organization that had over 3,000 employees and brought in $50+ million in revenues, and saw that they had an entry-level position open.

In less than three years, Eric was reporting directly to the CEO as Director of Business Development.

Eric eventually left CSD to form OrbitMatrix where he currently serves as its President/CEO. Eric brings a lifetime of experience and connections in all aspects of the deaf community and will implement his business acumen to improve the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people worldwide, which allows him to pursue both goals at the same time that he had set forth after graduating from college. Eric continues to break down barriers that deaf and hard of hearing people encounter and strongly feels that OrbitMatrix will break down many more barriers for other deaf and hard of hearing people worldwide and significantly enhance their personal and professional lives.