Rebecca McDonald's mother, Minnie, never wanted anything but the best for her. She enrolled Rebecca, deaf since birth, in public schools, covering the youngster's hearing aid under long hair.

Throughout the first half of elementary school, few of Rebecca's classmates or teachers knew about her deafness.

"Right now, some of the family members don't even know because she reads lips so well," said Minnie McDonald.

Now, Rebecca looks forward to the new challenges she faces since being crowned Miss Deaf Oklahoma in October.

"With the win, my duties are to be a good role model for other deaf women and try to encourage them to continue their education so they can have a career," she said.

McDonald said she still has to learn a lot more about the deaf culture, as well as American Sign Language, before she can responsibly fulfill all of her duties. She knows some ASL, but said she needs to know more for public speaking appearances. Rebecca, who has about 70 percent hearing loss, communicates through speech.

Minnie said Rebecca never had any formal training in ASL, but instead, learned sign language from other students in a ballet class as a young girl.

In high school, McDonald said she would sometimes use her deafness as an excuse to stay in the background. Doubts that she could compete with hearing persons held her back. Not anymore.

"I just want to accomplish big things - not because of my deafness," she said. "It doesn't matter if it's in pageants, at school, or in extra-curricular activities."

She credits her mother with bringing her out of her shell by encouraging McDonald to use her hearing loss to her advantage, instead of seeing it as a disadvantage.

"She doesn't like me bragging about her, but I love to," Minnie said as she looked over a wall of plaques highlighting Rebecca's numerous past and present achievements. "I'm very proud of her. I think she's a wonderful person."

This year's win came about after two previous attempts. McDonald, 23, will hold the title for the next two years and will represent Oklahoma in the national competition in 1996 in Portland, Ore.

McDonald, the first black woman in the history of the pageant to win the title, is familiar with the taste of victory. In 1992, she came in as second runner-up in the Miss Black Oklahoma City pageant. In 1993, she won first runner-up in the Miss Deaf Oklahoma pageant and, last year, the Black Student Association crowned McDonald Ebony Homecoming Queen.

McDonald, the youngest in a family of 10 children, has also tasted her share of tragedy that, she said, has strengthened her.

Two of McDonald's sisters have died - one lost a battle with brain cancer, the other died in a car-train accident. A brother succumbed to AIDS last year. McDonald said he is responsible for instilling the desire in her to attend OU. Through her win, she hopes to become an advocate for AIDS in the deaf community.

McDonald said she may continue to compete in pageants. But before she commits, she wants to see if she likes being a leader.

"I've always made an effort to accomplish something big each year," she said. "I enter pageants for fun, never expecting to win. There's a lot of responsibility, but competing really helps my self-esteem."

Wednesday, December 6, 1995