Born in Oklahoma, Michael Datur-Soliday grew up in Iowa and Colorado. He was mainstreamed in public schools long before most students with a hearing impairment. "My son, whom I adopted from the island of Guam, is also deaf. I wanted to show him that there are no obstacles in life unless you make it one." He received his B.S. from Utah State University and his M.Ed. from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College). In 1993, he received the Nevada Teacher of the Year award. He has also taught in Florida, Iowa, Guam, New York City, North Carolina, and Texas.
