I did a lot of community service during high school and I had a lot of fun doing them! My favorite activity that I have done since freshmen year was the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) walks. I met a lot of friends through these walks and just seeing the large amount of people participating in the walks meant a lot to me. It also was a place where I wasn’t the only diabetic, there were other diabetics I could talk to and connect with. I did these walks every October since high school started and I am hoping that there will be walks in my new college community!

Another amazing activity that I have done since my sophomore year was doing a presentation on my hearing loss for my teacher’s ASL 1 class. I talk about what it is like to be deaf in a mainstream world and navigating through a public school. My junior year I got to talk about LOFT and how amazing it was for me to be a part of LOFT. These presentations are always so fun to do and I will be continuing to do them throughout college. My teacher joked about how I need to continue the presentations every year until he retires…. in 12 years (yes, he even planned when he is going to retire!). I’m grateful for the activities I did in high school and that I will always remember them!

I was on the honor roll for 5 semesters throughout high school. It was a lot of work and lots of studying to keep my grades up. Junior year was the best year that I had in high school because I maintained a 4.0. It was not easy to keep a 4.0 but I am grateful for those who believed in me and encouraged me to keep going. It was nerve-wracking!

Another achievement I am proud to share is I was given an award called Student of Excellence! This award is given by a teacher who recognizes your hard work and dedication to their class. I was nominated by my ASL teacher who I have had since freshmen year. It meant a lot to know a teacher was proud of me and the work I put into the class.

I am attending to Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana in the fall. I plan to pursue Speech Language Pathology as my major along with a minor of American Sign Language. I was inspired to pursue speech language pathology while I was at LOFT in 2018. I was inspired by the other teens there with their stories. Having a speech therapist who truly knows the experience of having hearing loss is something we should have. I also did 3 years of ASL in high school and would love to become fluent! It is such a beautiful language and I am very excited to learn more. I can’t wait for the next chapter of my life!

The personal achievement that I am most proud of is getting accepted to Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. Getting into college is an amazing accomplishment in anyone’s life, but for me it was extra special because I have faced numerous challenges throughout my life. I was born hearing impaired which led to getting cochlear implants at ages 4 and 5 to help me hear the noises around me. A year after I got my second cochlear implant, I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. It was a truly challenging time for me and my family having to adapt to my new life with hearing loss and as a diabetic. Everyday I push myself to the fullest and know that my challenges do not define who I am as a person and as a student. I never let my challenges get in the way of my work and my dreams. It made me work even harder to get good grades so I could go to my dream school. The day that I found out that I was accepted to Saint Mary’s, I knew that all of my hard work had paid off. I cannot wait to walk on to the campus and continue to work hard to further my education! Although managing diabetes and being deaf can be tough at times, I still managed to push through all of the work. I am greater than my highs and my lows.