Everyone has a passion in their life, whether it is sports,
school, or even collecting snow globes. My passion is very
personal, and has had a tremendous impact on my life. At age
four, I was diagnosed with a significant hearing loss and told that
it could get worse as I became older. This was devastating news
to my parents and even harder for me to comprehend. This event
has helped define who I am and has helped me to realize that my
passion in life is to raise awareness of those who have a disability
and to help them overcome adversity.
Hearing loss to me is really something unique. Being born
without the ability to completely hear is something that I have not
been able to understand. I am not a genius with the human body
and how it works, but I've been given a lot of information on what
I was diagnosed with. There is a problem with the inside of my
ear, the part known as the eardrum. Sounds are not traveled very
efficiently into my ear. Even though I was diagnosed at four, they
were able to confer that I was born with it. Still to this day, no
doctor has been able to figure out the reason for why I was born
with a hearing loss.
Growing up hearing impaired was tough. I was looked
at as different from the others, and it was nothing that I could fix. I have dealt with selfesteem issues, always worried about what others think of me because my appearance
was different due to wearing hearing aids. I mean it is just hearing aids, how much of a
difference can that make on someone's opinion?
As I have continued to mature, I have improved my self-confidence. Still there are
times that I lack in confidence due to my disability. I have come to realize that I'm not the
only one who has a hearing impairment. I want others to know they can overcome their
disability and achieve their goals. Thus began my passion to reach out to those with a
disability, big or small. I want those who do not think they can accomplish their goals
because of a disability, to have the drive and willingness to overcome any obstacle.
Not many have heard of someone being hearing impaired becoming a lifeguard.
After all, the whole job entails being able to use the sense of hearing, but was that going
to stop me? I didn't think so either. After completing my Red Cross certification, I applied
at Payson's public pool for a position as a lifeguard. I was turned down and personally
devastated.
However, just one week later I was interviewed and received a job at a pool
located in a private club. From that job, I was able to continue working there as a children
camp counselor, a fitness center attendant, and currently golf shop assistant. The
opportunities that have been given to me have been tremendous, but I would have never
been given them if I were too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. If I had let my
disability define who I am, I would most certainly have not been employed at my current
position. However, I didn't just want to stop at having a job, I want to prove that anyone
can overcome a disability with perseverance.
Acquiring the job helped me gain the confidence to run for a State Officer position
with Arizona DECA and to reach out to those with disabilities. With hard work, I was
selected as a DECA State Officer in an organization with over 6600 Arizona members. It
was an extremely difficult process to become one, but it is has been worth it. Do you think
I was going to let a disability get in my way to achieve such a prestigious honor? Anyone
that knows me well would answer with any form of the answer, "Definitely not." Being a
State Officer is no walk in the park, it requires much time and accomplishing something of
this magnitude because of my disability.
The school environment was a lot different for me because I went through many
different processes than the other students going through preschool and elementary
school. I was often taken out of the classroom to work one on one with a Speech teacher. It
was very helpful to learn sign language at an early age, as well as how to pronounce my
sounds better. This helped me communicate much more effectively with dedication. Just a
few short years ago; I would have never envisioned myself of the students and teachers.
However, it was still a difficult process fitting in, because I always felt as if I stood out
amongst the other students. I often wore a device known as an FM System, which would
allow me to hear the teachers more clearly in the classroom. As helpful as this technology
was for me, I was always concerned with the students' thoughts of whether I looked like a
freaky robot or not. Elementary School was overall a tough time for my family and I, just
because no one could really see the difficulty of having to go through something like this.
I've excelled in academics, and right now I am currently ranked 9th out of 184 students
with a 3.93 GPA. Even with continuous difficulty in the classroom, I continued to work my
hardest. Teachers have been the biggest help, always asking for my seating preference,
that way I would be able to hear them. Peers have begun to understand that they can't be
loud in classroom settings, or I won't be able to hear the teacher. That has been an
incredible help with earning top grades.
Hearing aids have given me the ability to hear sounds that I would have never
been able to without them. It has increased my ability to learn tremendously. Without
hearing aids, I am not able to understand running speech, which is highly important in
any classroom. Throughout college, and after, the use of hearing aids will continue to
give me great opportunities. With the amount of job openings to come, I will be further
prepared to prove that I am the best applicant. The knowledge that I will need to
succeed will be brought to me through hearing aids and the ability to hear.
Earning new hearing aids would be the best thing. New technology would allow me
to experience a whole new level of hearing. I feel as if I am missing out on so many sounds
and noises, and with new hearing aids, I would be able to realize what I have been
missing. These new hearing aids would allow me to hear much better in classrooms at a
college level, for some have over 400 students in them. With that amount of students in
one setting, I will need better technology to help me hear. Even though it would help me
tremendously in class, I do not think my interpersonal relationships will be very different. I
have been accepted for whom I am. However, with new aids, I will be able to hear
conversations a lot better. My parents would love to know how happy I am with something
so wonderful.
After earning a college degree, I really want to work with kids in the community.
Knowing that I can make a difference in kids' lives, would be the best opportunity. With the
help of this award, I will be able to achieve my hopes and dreams. New hearing aids would
give me the drive to work harder to be successful in whatever I may do.
The fact that I am making an impact on people's lives makes all this hard work worth
it. To bring awareness to those with a disability is a major reason that I strive to work
harder, so they can have someone to look up to. When I get older, I want to give back to
the community, and I want to reach out to those with hearing impairment. I want to
reassure them that anything is possible even with a disability, and that they can achieve
anything that they put their mind to. Using my success throughout my life will be a tool that
I promote, and they will be able to see that hearing impairment shouldn't stop them from
what they want.
I was given something extremely unique for a reason. During my early years, I
wasn't able to comprehend that all things happen for a reason, but I can now say that I
have found my purpose in life. I wouldn't be where I am today without this disability, or as
I would call it, a continuous opportunity to bring focus to those who have a disability. I will
never give up on trying my best to influence those who need the most encouragement to
overcome any and all obstacles that are placed in their path.