Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
Program: Master of Science in Audiology
What attracted you to your field?
I was attracted to audiology from a young age because I was diagnosed with hearing loss at four years old. I started with two hearing aids, and then my hearing loss progressed in my left ear so I received a cochlear implant which stimulates the auditory nerve directly. I grew up attending numerous audiology appointments and due to the hard work of my audiologists and advancements in technology, I am where I am today. What inspired me to pursue the profession was my educational audiologist in Calgary, who had hearing aids. The younger me thought she was the most extraordinary person. I have also been involved with the Deaf community through the National Deaf Volleyball team. Now, I want to inspire the next generations of kids with hearing loss and help them reach their full potential.
What is your favourite moment from your time at UBC?
We travelled to Ottawa for the 2023 Canadian Audiology Conference as a class and we got to see the current research and technologies that are up and coming in our field. We also got to have a dinner with audiology students from other Canadian universities. The best part for me was connecting with other hard-of-hearing audiology students and sharing our experiences.
What is one piece of advice you have for students entering your program?
The perk of this program is that we are a small cohort. You will become close with your classmates, so use that advantage to study for exams and prep for labs. The best advice I received was that learning never stops and some skills take years to develop. Even as a graduate, I am learning and developing my clinical skills every day.
What’s next for you?
I currently work at the Nanaimo Public Health Audiology Unit as a pediatric audiologist. It’s inspiring to see the impact our work is having on children and their families.