About Tree of Life ASL
Who am I?
Hello, I’m Roger Wilkins, founder of Tree of Life ASL — a place where faith, language, and light come together.
My life has been one of discovery, growth, and continual renewal through the grace of Jesus Christ and the beauty of American Sign Language (ASL).
My Deaf Journey & Language Roots
I became profoundly deaf at the age of one after a severe case of spinal meningitis. My world changed instantly, and from that moment forward, I began a lifelong journey shaped by silence, faith, and resilience.
Growing up deaf taught me how to adapt, communicate, and connect in unique ways. I learned Total Communication in Sign Language. Later at Fremont School for the Deaf in my Junior and Senior years, learning American Sign Language (ASL) opened new doors of understanding and expression. ASL became not only a communication tool, but a language of identity, belonging, and spiritual growth.
Education, Service, and Early Church Experiences
My desire to serve the Lord and the Deaf community shaped my early path. As a young teenager, around age thirteen or fourteen, I came to know for myself that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. That testimony came through diligent scripture study, sincere prayer, and a powerful personal experience with the Spirit. If you would like to read the full account of that moment, I share it in detail on the page titled “My Conversion Story.”
I served for a brief time in the Oklahoma City and St. Louis Missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, assigned specifically to Deaf communities.
My education includes time at Gallaudet University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and later graduating with a B.S. in Business Management (Small Business emphasis) from Utah Valley University in 2002.
Service has always been part of my life. I co-founded and served as President of a Deaf Camp for children in Utah (1985–1990). I also taught ASL at Salt Lake Community College, the University of Utah, and Utah Valley State College.
Through all these experiences, the Lord continued to teach me, guide me, and prepare me — even when I didn’t realize it.
A Life of Work, Family, and the Lord’s Quiet Guidance.
As my life moved forward, the Lord guided me through many different seasons of work and family, often through quiet impressions that made sense only in hindsight. After years of focusing on education and service, I entered a long and meaningful chapter as an entrepreneur.
For about eight years, I owned and operated my own online retail business. What began on eBay eventually grew into a full online store, and as it expanded, I leased a warehouse in Provo, Utah, where I shipped everything from “As Seen on TV” products to Little Giant Ladders, Sunsetter Awnings, and much more. It was a demanding and hands-on time, but it taught me resilience, problem-solving, and how to build something from the ground up.
In 2011, after years of nonstop work, my wife and I finally took our five children on our very first cruise together — a trip to Alaska. That experience changed me more than I expected. The peaceful sea days, the incredible scenery, and the time together as a family helped me slow down and reconnect with what mattered. I also found myself genuinely interested in how cruises worked: the ports, the excursions, the planning, and the details behind the scenes.
When we returned home, families and friends began asking me for advice about cruises. They wanted help from someone they trusted — someone who could explain things clearly in ASL and who paid attention to details. I already knew there were other Deaf cruise agents, and I wasn’t trying to be anything new. I simply enjoyed helping, and I wanted to give people great service.
One request led to another, and before long, this became the next chapter of my life. For the next nine years, I worked as a Deaf cruise agent, helping travelers choose itineraries and understand excursions for destinations like Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, Bermuda, the Panama Canal, and several major U.S. ports.
But my work extended beyond planning.
Over those nine years, I went on 21 cruises myself — sometimes with my wife, sometimes with my wife and children, and sometimes with Deaf groups both large and small. I was often involved directly on the ship, either serving as the host for the group or training someone else to take on that role. I helped organize meetups, answer questions, support travelers, and make sure everyone felt comfortable and included.
Those cruises weren’t just trips. They were connections — shared conversations, friendships built over meals, stories signed on deck, and moments of joy as Deaf travelers experienced beautiful places with full communication access.
Through each of these chapters — entrepreneurship, family, travel, service, and community — the Lord guided me quietly. He opened doors, taught me through experiences, and prepared me for the next steps long before I understood where they were leading. Every season of work, every challenge, and every opportunity became part of a larger path He was shaping for me.
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