Over the past three years, I have come and gone from hearing appointments and checkups, and with every audiologist, I've met, I concluded that they all love their jobs and truly want to help every patient with their hearing loss journey. I don't have a bad memory of an audiology appointment, each audiologist is unique and loving. I remember the audiologist who conducted my last audiology appointment. She talked to me about school, and life, and made me feel as though I was not there for an appointment, but just as a little check-in on how I was doing. Her passion for her job has helped deepen my interest in audiology as well. I feel that by becoming an audiologist, I would be able to empathize with patients because I have been in their position and would be able to give them the best care possible while ensuring they have confidence in their hearing aids and cochlear implants. Having confidence in a disability is very difficult. Sometimes even accepting my hearing loss daily and putting in my hearing aids is hard. However, I know that I am capable of encouraging others to be proud of who they are. Whether it's telling a patient they did great on a test or picking out fun mold colors, hearing loss is a journey. I want to have a positive impact on others' journeys the way I remember being impacted by others. As I continue studying audiology, I become increasingly more excited to be an audiologist and help kids who are just like me. I know how hard it can be to have an invisible disability, especially one that is not very common for people my age. I feel I will be able to help in more ways than just giving kids hearing aids. I can help them and their families navigate and adjust to life in the academic world too. I know from personal experience it can be difficult to ask for or receive classroom help or adjustments, especially in college. I ask my professors to provide videos with closed captioning and also that they not wear masks (or a clear one) while teaching, so I can read lips. The mask part has especially been difficult since the pandemic and makes communication with me much more difficult. Although communication isn’t always easy, I have absolutely loved studying communication disorders and having the opportunity to connect with others who also have similar passions. Having hearing loss and the memories that come with it has caused me to see the world differently. I also know in college my view of the world will continuously change as I learn and make new memories. I am so incredibly proud of the person I am today, and having hearing loss has had a significant impact on my life. I can't wait to share this part of my life and my interest in audiology with the world. I did not realize this when I failed a hearing test at 15, but I am incredibly thankful for my hearing loss and the memories that have come with it. I will also cherish the memories to come while pursuing a career in audiology, but I will continue to keep the memory of the day I discovered I had hearing loss close to my heart.