I am 16 years old and live in California. I was born with Pendred syndrome, which is why I have severe to profound, bilateral hearing loss and wear hearing aids.
Progress Forward
This newly graduated high school student who wears a cochlear implant is making plans to pay it forward.
Resources for College-Bound Students With Hearing Loss
Consult with a disability counselor at each prospective school to get a comprehensive understanding of all offered accommodations. This information will help students and their families determine which choice is best for them.
A Future in Engineering
I’ve always been fascinated with how things work and have considered electrical and/or mechanical engineering. It would be very powerful for someone who has worn hearing aids for all his life to design hearing aid technology to fit various stages of life and lifestyles.
Plum Blossoms and Perseverance
Plum blossom trees are important in Chinese culture because they bloom through cold winters, symbolizing perseverance. Throughout my childhood, perseverance has played a huge role in my story.
Help America Hear’s Scholarship Competition
It was inspiring that several students mentioned in their essays that they planned to major in audiology or related fields to learn how to help others with the same “invisible disability.”
Help America Hear Through Scholarships
The scholarship program is an annual nationwide contest offering assistance to high school seniors with hearing loss who are starting their first year of college.
College Scholarship Contest for High School Seniors
Hearing Health Foundation is proud to partner with fellow nonprofit Help America Hear, which since 2004 has worked to raise awareness and provide financial assistance to those with visual and/or auditory impairments. As part of this effort, Help America Hear awards five high school seniors each a pair of new hearing aids and $2,000 to use for higher education.
Dealing With a Sudden Loss of Hearing and Five Ways Loved Ones Can Help
I was a high school senior when I got the news that my moderate to severe, bilateral, congenital hearing loss had just got worse (genetic, 60-85 dB loss in both ears). “Discrimination dropped from 82% to 15% in her left ear and 72% to 12% in the right ear...” the audiologist reported, confirming my sudden, significant drop in hearing. Though I could hear the difference, I couldn’t believe it. The words stung more than I could have ever imagined.