When asked to identify the highlight of her Churchill Fellowship, Sherrie Beaver smiles and admits it’s nearly impossible. “The whole experience was such a highlight for me,” she says. “It was truly life-changing, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Meeting so many people during my trip had a profound impact on me. Some of the conversations I had in America were incredibly moving and will stay with me forever. Honestly, the entire trip was just an incredible experience.”
For Sherrie, the Fellowship was as much about personal growth as it was about exploring new ideas. She aimed to investigate how fundraising approaches can be made more accessible for deaf and hard of hearing people. Her project looked at how the fundraising sector in Australia could better support initiatives led by deaf organisations, and how campaigns could be delivered in both Auslan and English to encourage broader participation.
Global Context
Globally, there are over 70 million deaf people, most of whom live in developing countries, and they collectively use more than 300 different sign languages. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises these languages as equal to spoken languages, emphasising the importance of visibility, early access, and inclusion. Sherrie’s Fellowship was part of that broader effort to ensure deaf people not only have a voice but also access meaningful opportunities to participate fully in their communities.
The Journey Begins
Sherrie’s Fellowship took her across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Finland. Her itinerary included Deaf clubs and community organisations in Minnesota, services in Austin, and meetings with national leaders at the Deaf Organisations Fund and Gallaudet University in Washington DC. She also connected with providers in Philadelphia and New York before travelling to London, and Edinburgh. The trip concluded in Helsinki, with visits to the World Federation of the Deaf and the Finnish Association of the Deaf.
For the first half of her journey in the United States, Sherrie was accompanied by interpreter Natalie Kull, with whom she has worked for more than 15 years. Initially, Sherrie hadn’t planned to take an interpreter, having managed previous trips alone. But as she entered the US, she realised the value of having someone by her side. “Entering the US, I felt much safer with Natalie there. It provided the extra level of assurance that I could understand what was happening.”
With Natalie alongside her, the trip gained a new depth. Meetings became richer, and conversations extended further, with Sherrie able to pick up on subtle details, side comments, and cultural nuances she might otherwise have missed. Even in casual settings—chatting with Uber drivers, talking with people on trains, or exploring a new city—Natalie’s presence opened doors to connections. These spontaneous moments often led to unexpected insights and a greater appreciation of the communities she was visiting.
Natalies thoughts
One of the things that stayed with me after I attended the Fellow induction day with Sherrie (prior to our departure) was the emphasis the Churchill Fellowship team put on the value of incidental conversations while travelling. They stressed that sometimes the most valuable meetings during the journey are not the ones planned in advance, but the ones that happen spontaneously in lifts, on the street, and in the hallways of offices.
“This really struck me, that these conversations might not be accessible to Deaf people travelling without an interpreter, and that Deaf fellows may miss out on a level of richness that their hearing fellows may take for granted.”
I kept this in mind as a guiding principle when I travelled with Sherrie; I was always listening out for information around us that might be useful to her work, and I was ready to spring into action at all times when we were outside of planned meetings.
One powerful example came during a train journey when a passenger in a nearby carriage suffered a drug overdose. “People were scrambling to help and someone administered Narcan right there,” Sherrie recalls. “It was quite the scene—something I’d be surprised to see in Australia. Without Natalie, it would have been very troubling to witness.” The incident highlighted the cultural differences she encountered, as well as the comfort of travelling with someone she trusted.
Travelling Solo
By comparison, the second half of Sherrie’s trip was undertaken solo in the UK and Finland. While she successfully navigated her way through the three weeks, the experience felt very different. “It was the simple things,” she explains. “Like catching an Uber—I got where I needed to go, but there was no conversation, no interaction. Or seeing posters for tours and events I couldn’t join. Without an interpreter, those opportunities just slipped past me.” The contrast highlighted how much more detail and connection she could gather with Natalie by her side. Where the first half of the journey was full of rich conversations and unexpected insights, the second half was marked by missed opportunities and a feeling of increased isolation.
What’s Next
Since returning to Australia, Sherrie has been reflecting on how to build upon what she learned. She is exploring opportunities to establish a business that can carry forward her Fellowship findings, while also contributing to the Churchill Trust’s evolving impact programs. For her, the journey didn’t end with the trip—it marked the beginning of new ways to think about change and growth.
Most importantly, Sherrie is encouraging more Deaf Australians to consider applying for a Fellowship. “I’d love to see more Deaf people become Fellows and have these opportunities,” she says. “I’ve told many that I’m happy to support them during the application process, to think about their ideas and the impact they want to create.”