Springfield, Missouri (March 20, 2015) - Alpaca Audiology is pleased to announce a call for applications for its second annual Alpaca Audiology Student Scholarship awarded to a student currently enrolled in an accredited doctoral level audiology program in the United States.
Founded in 2013 by the Alpaca Audiology Founding Partners, the $10,000 scholarship award will be announced June 1 by Alpaca Audiology’s Board. The scholarship helps support the winning student’s educational needs during the year following their win.
“Not long ago, I remember being an audiology student. My favorite aspect of being a student was being completely immersed in all realms of audiology,” said Brian Vesely, AuD, Founding Partner, Alpaca Audiology. “On a daily basis I was in clinic, conducting research, while also studying electrophysiology, pediatrics, practice management, etc. I really enjoyed the purity of it all.
“Sadly, as one develops from student to audiologist labels seem to follow, and you’re no longer participating in the sphere of audiology, but simply a spectrum of the whole. Nonetheless, being an AuD student presents its own unique stressors, many of which are financial in nature. The purpose of establishing the Alpaca Audiology Scholarship is to alleviate the outside financial stressors and allow students to focus on their education and trek to becoming the best audiologist he or she can be. The strongest way to ‘Amplify the Profession’ is to invest in the future!” he concluded.
Alpaca Audiology Board members include Tony Asay AuD, Bill Helms, MD, Jim Rippy, AuD and Brian Vesely, AuD. Phonak is among the donors that help support the scholarship fund each year.
2014 Alpaca Audiology scholarship recipient
Rachael Kingma Queen, a third-year audiology student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri won the scholarship in 2014. Rachael hopes to work with a very diverse patient population and support the development of sustainable hearing healthcare programs in under-resourced nations. She is also very passionate about forwarding the profession’s status at a local and national level and leads her program’s SAA Advocacy Committee.
“Receiving the 2014 Alpaca Audiology Scholarship was absolutely riveting. The funding was not only a significant financial blessing, but also a confirmation in the changes I believe the profession of audiology needs to undergo,” said Rachael. “My third year as an audiology student has also been a surprise, as I have determined the patient population and area of specialty I want to work with and pursue. I have no doubt my future in the field will continue to be an exhilarating adventure.”
How to apply
The criteria considered for each applicant includes:
- The applicant’s GPA
- A 500-word essay describing how the applicant will amplify the profession of audiology.
- Two (2) references; one of the references must be submitted by a practicing Doctor of Audiology, preferably an off-site clinical supervisor.
To complete the online application and submit references, applicants should visit https://alpacaaudiology.com/scholarship/. Deadline for all online applications is Friday, May 1, 2015.
About Alpaca Audiology
Alpaca Audiology is the only audiology-exclusive group purchasing organization in the United States. A primary benefit of Alpaca Audiology is its ability to offer its members attractive pricing without unit commitments, contractual obligations, exclusives or minimums. Begun by several groups of audiologists with practices located throughout Missouri and Arkansas, the GPO has grown to include members throughout the United States.
For further information, contact Stephen Horne at 479-747-3837 or at shorne@AlpacaAudiology.com.
