Deaf Reporter

Hey guys! I hope this post finds you well. I always enjoy finding that my writing makes a positive impact on somebody, so please read on!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new semester and I always get really nervous about a new set of professors. Not because I'm nervous about school, but I go through the jitters of finding that I need to acclimate myself in a new environment.

I'm more nervous about little questions like, "Are you going to be able to hear the people?" and "Is the room going to be really noisy when I walk in?" Ever since the cochlear implant, I'm finding that those worries are quickly dissipated when I arrive to my classes.

I'm sure tomorrow will go well, life has been a drastic improvement since activation. Sure, there have been little bumps along the road and there have been some struggles. I've found that anything worth having in life though is worth fighting for, both with my cochlear implant and in other aspects of life.

I've recently taken on the job as a reporter and a writer for my campus' paper. I'm thrilled that I may be able to write and recieve pay (miniscule but rewarding) for it!

I've quit my serving job so that I may be able to focus more on school. Every day I see ways that my becoming an audiologist will help benefit others, and it gets me excited.

Every single day before I leave the house, I always pray that "God helps me to make a positive impact on others as he does for me." Every day that I pray that prayer, I find that almost instantly after I leave, I've been able to make that impact that I hope for.

I've always aspired to be a role model for both deaf and non deaf people alike. I don't take that lightly. When people walk up to me and talk about the cochlear implant, most times it is because they are thinking of getting one or are just amazed that I am able to talk clearly. Although my rapid success rate with the cochlear implant is rare, success with the cochlear implant is almost always prevalent.

It has officially been a full year since I've had my cochlear implant. My life has had a complete turnaround since activation. If anybody is ever considering getting one, if your a parent reading for your child, if your studying them in school, or if you are just curious, always remember what you've read here and remember my story, it may help down the road. 

I try to write so that my post's may be understandable to everybody. I hope to say something that may strike the reader personally.

Although you may not be deaf, you can always still strive to make a positive impact on others. You may not know what it's like to have that awkward feeling in the classroom when you are the only deaf person, but everybody understands isolation.

Always remember that somebody else out there is able to sympathize with your situation, just open up and let them in!

God made us social beings for a reason, use it and do something to benefit others!

Good luck this semester and have a good week!

Connor