Ryan Layton came to WPSD during the 1982-83 school year after spending some time at a mainstream school. Ryan is a very proud 1989 graduate of WPSD. After grauduation Ryan attended Gallaudet University. Currently, he is pursuing certification in Nonprofit leadership and Management through the Center for Community-Based & Nonprofit Organizations, the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Austin Community College.
Ryan has a diverse background which includes serving as general manager for Deaf Wireless, project manager for Hands on Communications, and lead Mac technician for the Technology Integration Group. Later, Ryan was hired by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) as a telecommunications project specialist. Shortly after, he was promoted to act as the de facto relay administrator for the State of Arizona.
Earlier this year, Ryan was hired as the social media coordinator for Purple Communications, a leading provider of video relay services (VRS), on-site interpreting services, video remote interpreting (VRI) and text relay services. He is instrumental in Purple’s overall social media and strategic plan, marketing Purple products and services through a variety of social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and more. Ryan is responsible for significantly growing Purple’s Facebook fan page, as well as implementing innovative social media tactics that inform , entertain and engage users.
Ryan says WPSD prepared him for life on many different levels, but the biggest impact was being around other people who use ASL and knowing he wasn’t the only one who was “different” in the world. He adds that this has an extremely positive impact on his self-esteem. He also says he appreciated WPSD administrators, teachers and staff who showed him what it takes to be a good role model.
Although Ryan has many WPSD memories, his favorite was the yearly May Day festivities. he says this event gave him a sense of togetherness, the opportunity to meet families and alumni of WPSD visiting their children and friends, and of course, witness the traditional May Queen crowing ceremony.
Ryan’s advice to our current WPSD students: Make the most of your time at WPSD. Time will go faster than you think!
In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending quality time with his family in Austin, Texas, reading and tinkering in his garage with his collection of computers.