Cochlear Americas Provides Support for Cochlear Implant Recipients to Pursue Higher...( Company Announces 2009 Graeme Clark S...)

Company Announces 2009 Graeme Clark Scholarship Winners

DENVER, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Cochlear Americas, the world's leader in advanced hearing technologies, today announced the winners of the 2009 Graeme Clark Scholarship awards. Since 2002, the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation has recognized the remarkable achievements of individuals who have received a Nucleus(R) cochlear implant - a small electronic device that can provide a sense of hearing to someone who has severe to profound hearing loss. This year, five outstanding students have been selected to receive a total of $40,000 in financial assistance toward an accredited university.

"Cochlear Americas is dedicated to empowering our Nucleus recipients with an opportunity to pursue higher goals and achieve their greatest dreams," said Chris Smith, President, Cochlear Americas. "We are proud to provide assistance to such intelligent and engaged young adults who demonstrate superior academic achievement, leadership and community involvement."

The five scholarship winners are:

• Emily Fustos (Allison Park, PA), a freshman at Pennsylvania State University, was born profoundly deaf and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 2. Emily is enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College where she is considering using her unique perspective of both the deaf and hearing worlds to specialize in speech pathology and communication disorders.

• Alison Marinelli (South Windsor, CT), a freshman at Assumption College, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of 9 months, and at age 4 received her first Nucleus cochlear implant. She received a second cochlear implant in her other ear as a teenager. She is pursuing a degree in speech and language pathology, with the ultimate goal of attaining both her master's
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