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Office of Global Engagement

Global Alumni Spotlight: Job Opportunity Inspires Move Across Continents To Help The Deaf Community

December 1, 2021
A wide shot of the belltower during August 2021.

Jimmy Pagett, a lifelong State fan, graduated from NC State in 2013. He has always had an interest in exploring different places and cultures, originally majoring in International Relations before settling on Marketing.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to attend NC State is because I didn’t originally know what I wanted to get my degree in. NC State has so many strong options, that I felt confident that I would find what was right for me during my time there.”

Jimmy Pagett with a friend taking graduation pictures in their red undergraduate gown on the steps of the 911 building in the Court of Carolinas.
Jimmy (left) with a friend taking graduation pictures.

Raised in NC, Jimmy has been a huge State fan his entire life. However, he recently moved to Budapest in July 2021 to advance his career in marketing. 

Global Living Experience

Jimmy’s move was inspired by his prior experiences living internationally which first started when he studied abroad in Florence during school. Since then he has had the opportunity to live in Switzerland for a summer working as a counselor at an international boarding school. More recently, from December 2019 to March 2020, Jimmy lived in South Korea teaching ESL (English as a second language) at a private school to elementary and middle school students. 

Jimmy Pagett in Florence during his study abroad.
Jimmy (left) in Florence during his study abroad.

“I loved my time there but I’m excited to now be able to both live abroad and do more career-relevant work here in Budapest.” Jimmy currently works as Marketing Manager at SignAll Technologies.

Passionate about ASL 

“We’ve created technology that can recognize and translate sign language with AI and computer vision. SignAll Technologies uses such technology for different educational tools and just released an app called ‘Ace ASL’ which is the first sign language learning app that actually lets you sign in front of your phone camera and provides real-time feedback,” says Jimmy. “Our goal is working towards providing live translation for conversations between Deaf and hearing people.” 

Prior to this move, Jimmy had little knowledge of ASL and the Deaf community.

“It’s been a lot of learning as I go for the job itself and also for the subject matter. There are a lot of obstacles that the Deaf community has to face that you wouldn’t necessarily realize. For example, simply going to the movies. AMC Theatres just announced they will begin adding captions on screen for some showings. This is a huge win for the Deaf community,” says Jimmy. “Accessibility issues for all kinds of people are finally getting more attention and it shows how easy it can be to overlook when it doesn’t affect you personally.”

Advice to Current Students on the Job Hunt

“Persistence is a good thing. Especially when you’re looking for a job without any prior experience, being persistent shows that you are serious about the job. Follow up with your contact until you get a no,” explains Jimmy. “This is how I got my first internship and how I got my entry-level position after graduating.”

Jimmy Pagett in Budapest

Searching Fellow Alumni

Jimmy’s spotlight was initially inspired by his post in our Global Alumni Facebook Group looking to connect with other alumni living in Budapest. If you or someone you know is currently living in Budapest, feel free to reach out to Jimmy on Instagram at @jimmypagett or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/jimmypagett.