Emilee Segura was born in Utah, alongside her hearing twin brother. At the hospital, her parents found out she did not pass her newborn infant hearing screening. Later they found out she had a bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. Her parents received deaf mentor services and they learned ASL. Emilee received a cochlear implant when she was 18 months old. She attended auditory verbal therapy where she learned how to hear with her cochlear implant and how to talk. She grew up in a home where ASL and spoken English were the main languages. She is the only person in her immediate family who is deaf.

Emilee graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders and a Master of Education in Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She works as a deaf mentor for the Parent Infant Program (PIP) at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. She helps families who have a deaf child learn ASL and about deaf culture. She also answers any questions parents have about raising a deaf child. In August, Emilee will advance to the role of a Parent Advisor in PIP.

Emilee will be presenting about Strategies and Tips for Encouraging Family Members to Use ASL. She will go over the benefits of ASL for DHH family members, understanding barriers, concerns, and challenges, and strategies for encouraging family members to use ASL.