First Deaf Miss America Inaugurates Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation
DENVER - Cochlear Americas announced today the inauguration of the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation. The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship, a unique award open to Cochlear Nucleus® cochlear implant recipients, is a fund intended to provide three college age students with tuition assistance.
Former Miss America Heather Whitestone McCallum, a recent Nucleus® 24 Contour™ recipient and chair of the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation, kicked off the day's events with an award ceremony for the recipients and their families at Innoventions at Epcot®, the ever-changing theme park of discovery at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Upon completion of the ceremony, recipients and their families enjoyed a complimentary tour of Innoventions at Epcot, an attraction that features breakthroughs in science and technology that inspire our lives, including technologies for those with communication disabilities.
"Professor Graeme Clark dedicated his life to finding a way to improve hearing and the quality of life for deaf individuals," said Heather Whitestone McCallum. "The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation is intended to serve this same purpose by offering cochlear implant recipients who wish to pursue higher education a means to fulfill their dreams."
The winners of the first annual Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarships are Cochlear Nucleus® 24 recipient Sarah Dockery, of Goodlettsville, TN., a freshman at Stamford University majoring in Graphic Design; Cochlear Nucleus 24 recipient Lindsey Dolich, of Alameda, CA, a freshman at Haverford College majoring in English; and Cochlear Nucleus® 22 recipient Andrea Langhout, of Issaquah, WA, who is pursuing a Masters in Education at the University of Washington. The winners were selected by a panel of judges made up by Heather Whitestone McCallum; John Niparko, M.D., Johns Hopkins Hospital; Patricia Chute, Ed.D, Department of Communications Disorders Mercy College; Carolyn Brown, M.S., CCC-A/SLP Director, Carolina Childrens Communicative Disorders Program; and William Luxford, M.D., House Ear Clinic.
About the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation
The Foundation was established in 2002 in honor of Professor Graeme Clark, Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne, for his lifelong commitment to finding a solution for the hearing impaired and his pioneering work in the field of cochlear implant technology. Professor Clark invented the world's first multichannel cochlear implant. Awarded by Cochlear, this scholarship consists of financial assistance towards a college degree at an accredited university. The award, which will be presented to three students annually, is paid in yearly installments upon the completion of each year of study. Each award is in the amount of $3,000 per year for a total of four years. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and a demonstrated commitment to the Cochlear ideals of leadership and humanity.
For more information about the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation, call 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or visit the website at https://www.cochlear.com/Recipients/Scholarship.asp
About Cochlear Americas
Denver-based Cochlear Americas is the U.S. headquarters for Cochlear Limited, the world leader in cochlear implant technology. Cochlear is a winner of the 2001 Medical Design Excellence Awards for its design of the Cochlear Nucleus® 24 Contour™ cochlear implant and the FDA Commissioner's Special Citation for the development and commercialization of the Cochlear Nucleus® 24 Multichannel Auditory Brainstem implant. To date, more than 43,000 people worldwide have received Cochlear Nucleus® cochlear implants. For more information about Cochlear's products, call the Cochlear Nucleus Hotline at 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or visit the website at www.cochlear.com.
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