Cochlear Americas Announces 2008 Graeme Clark Scholarsh...( DENVER Jan. 24 /- Cochlear Americ...),Health

DENVER, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Cochlear Americas, the world leader in advanced hearing solutions, today announced the winners of the 2008 Graeme Clark Scholarship awards. Five students have been selected to receive up to $38,000 of financial assistance toward an accredited university. The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation was launched in 2002 to recognize the remarkable achievements of individuals who also happen to have a Nucleus cochlear implant -- a small electronic device that can restore a sense of hearing to someone who is deaf.

"This year's scholarship winners were selected from an inspirational pool of applicants who have benefited through use of their cochlear implants," said Chris Smith, President, Cochlear Americas. "We believe that education empowers people to be more independent and to more fully participate in the economic and social benefits of our society and are happy to be able to provide assistance to such intelligent and successful young adults as they move into the next chapter of their lives."

The five scholarship winners include:

-- Shoshana Cohn (West Hartford, CT), a freshman at Bowdoin College. Cohn

was diagnosed with hearing loss at 8 months and received a Nucleus

cochlear implant in her right ear at age 7 and in her left ear at age

15.

-- Francisco Raymond Lara (Phoenix, AZ), a sophomore at the National

Technical Institute for the Deaf. Lara has suffered from hearing loss

since age 3 and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 14.

-- Michael Noble (Dallas, TX), a freshman at Southern Methodist University.

Noble was born deaf and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 2.

-- Jentry Taylor (Oklahoma City, OK), a freshman at William Jewell College.

Taylor was born with profound hearing loss and received a Nucleus

cochlear implant at age 15.

-- Matthew Wetmore (Macomb, IL), a freshman at Illinois
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