Michael’s Story

Michael, one of the 2008 Graeme Clark Scholarship winners, and I have been corresponding to each other about our experiences growing up with our cochlear implants. He and I grew up with very similar paths. We both first received our cochlear implant at the age of 2 and a half years old, were raised to learn to hear and speak without sign language, and went to mainstream schools throughout our lives. He was very involved in extracurricular activities in high school and also won many honors and achievements too. He is now a first-year student at Southern Methodist University and is double majoring in business administration and advertising. He is definitely an example of today’s typical cochlear implant user! He sent me a nice article about him from The Dallas Morning News and an essay that he wrote for the Graeme Clark Scholarship. Here is Michael’s essay:

“Your son, Michael, will never be able to hear, speak, or do the things a normal person would do,” my parents were told. I was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf at the age of fifteen months. My world seemed as if it had come to a narrow passage with very limited opportunities. However, it was the beginning of something unforeseen and beyond normal. All future dreams and visions seemed shattered, but they were actually expanding to a whole new dimension a normal-hearing person would never experience. I received the cochlear implant at a very young age, and since then I have thrived in the mainstream world. I have been in public schools with all normal hearing students since the first grade and have been tremendously successful. I feel like I have been immensely blessed to have a cochlear implant that can help me hear, speak, and communicate with others. With this blessing, I feel a duty to participate in mainstream society and endeavor to be the best I can be in as many possible opportunities in the mainstream world. So far, I have managed to rank number eight in my class, complete twenty-nine hours at Brookhaven Community College, and be accepted into the prestigious university, Southern Methodist University. Furthermore, I have been the photographer, vice-president, and president of D.E.C.A., served on the board of directors of the International Business Academy, a highly sophisticated high school program for ambitious students, and be an active member of three honor societies. Not only do I give back by taking leadership positions, but I have taken on many community service opportunities such as working with students at McKamy and Farmers Branch elementary schools. Mainstreaming allows me to live life to the fullest where I have unlimited opportunities to learn and excel.

I strongly believe that I am a good candidate for this scholarship, because I understand that receiving an extraordinary scholarship like this one means that the organization feels confidence that the student receiving the scholarship will become a valuable member of society who strives to go “above and beyond.” I have lived life “above and beyond” people’s expectations since I was diagnosed as profoundly deaf and told that I would never be able to speak or hear. Not only have I managed to do more than a typical deaf student would accomplish, but I have achieved things that most of my peers would not. Receiving this scholarship will enable me to go a step further with an education from one of the most prestigious schools, Southern Methodist University. There I will attend the Cox School of Business and the University Honors Program. I have an ambition to double major in business administration and marketing communications with a possible minor in foreign language. After graduating with a double major, I plan to continue my education to attain a masters degree in business administration. I wish to pursue a career in the advertising industry with a pinpoint focus in the automotive world. I have a dream of starting my own advertising agency in the automotive industry. The Graeme Clark scholarship will take me one step closer in achieving my ambitions and dreams.