Audiology Personal Statement

My decision to be a Speech-Language Hearing sciences major came as a result from my own experiences living with a hearing loss. As I began high school, I unexpectedly began losing my hearing due to an inner ear disease. I struggled in my schooling for some time before I started the aural rehabilitation that has brought me to where I am today. Through this treatment, I interacted with a variety of audiologists who helped find assistive technologies and communication strategies that were best suited to my particular needs. These health professionals made it very clear to me that the field of audiology would allow me to do the same for others like me. Following my graduation from Temple, I will pursue my Au.D (Doctorate of Audiology). Though I have not been able to help others in a clinical setting as of yet, my time as a preceptor for …show more content…
This experience has not only given me the chance to gain invaluable insights into what all goes into successfully educating students, but it has also shown me the importance of individualization. As with my experience in aural rehabilitation, educational methods often require the teacher or tutor to identify and/or anticipate the needs of those they wish to reach. Not only have I been able to work on such skills through my work as a preceptor, but I have also through my job as a double bass instructor for elementary school aged students. As most of my preparation as a music teacher came from years of studying the technical aspects of the instrument itself, relaying this information to much younger musicians posed quite a challenge. In order to reach my students, I needed to identify both their prior musical knowledge as well as their individual learning styles. My teaching experiences thus far have given me the opportunity to work on my skill identifying the needs of my students, but I still have much more that I could