Cochlear Americas Honors Exemplary Hearing Implant Recipients with Graeme Clark and Anders Tjellstrom College Scholarships

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Feb. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cochlear, the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, announced today the winners of the twelfth annual Graeme Clark and third annual Anders Tjellstrom Scholarships. The 2014 scholarships recognize Cochlear™ Nucleus^® Implant and Baha^® System recipients who have shown promise and resilience in their personal and academic pursuits, contributed tangibly to their communities, and displayed leadership and humanity beyond their years.

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The 2014 Graeme Clark Scholarship winners are Will Andes (Fairfax, VA), a sophomore at University of Virginia; Jordan Livingston (Las Vegas, NV), a freshman at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Lesley Miller (Plano, TX), a freshman at Rice University; Jessica Williams (St. Louis, MO), a freshman at her city's Washington University; and Conner Svetly (Paradise, AZ), a freshman at Chapman University. The 2014 Anders Tjellstrom Scholarship Baha Scholarship winners are Jad Chatila (Grand Prairie, TX), a freshman at Texas Christian University; Caroline Farmer (Tucson, AZ), University of Arizona sophomore; and Andrew Rose (Burnsville, NC), a freshman at North Carolina State University.

"All eight of these young men and women have used the capabilities of their Cochlear hearing devices to attain major milestones on their journey to academic and personal success," said Chris Smith, President of Cochlear Americas. "We are honored to not only help bring them their best hearing potential but to also reward them with college scholarships, so they can pursue their studies in professions that benefit their communities. One of the wisest investments we can make today is in enterprising students who are determined to make a vital difference in our society."

"My cochlear implants have allowed me to be as successful as I want to be," remarked Graeme Clark Scholarship winner Conner Svetly, an aspiring surgeon. "I was able to develop listening and speaking skills at an early age and be mainstreamed by kindergarten. I have been able to compete and be successful in honors and advanced placement classes as well as on the football field. Because of my cochlear implants, most people do not realize or believe that I am deaf. In fact, they allow me to put my disability on the backburner and live life to the fullest."

More About the Scholarships

The Graeme Clark Scholarship is named after the inventor of the cochlear implant. Anders Tjellstrom is a research physician in the Department of Otolaryngology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden. He collaborated with Per-Ingvar Branemark, a fellow pioneer in his field, to treat the first patient with a Cochlear™ Baha® Device.

The students were chosen from among more than 150 candidates whose applications were reviewed by an esteemed panel of judges, including Marcia Clark Adunka, Au.D., CCC-A, University of North Carolina; Shannon Burns, Au.D., M.A., University of Colorado Hospital; and Michael J. LaRouere, M.D., Michigan Ear Institute.

The eight scholars will each receive $2,000 annually for up to four years at an accredited college or university for a total distribution of $64,000 in scholarship funds.  Since 2002, Cochlear Americas has awarded more than $440,000 in scholarships to 64 college students.

For more details about the scholarships, visit Cochlear.com/US/Scholarship.

About Cochlear

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. It has a dedicated global team of more than 2,700 people who deliver the gift of sound to those with hearing loss in over 100 countries. Its vision is to connect people, young and old, to a world of sound by offering life enhancing hearing solutions.

The Cochlear promise of "Hear now. And always" embodies the company's commitment to providing its recipients with their best possible hearing performance today and for the rest of their lives. For over 30 years Cochlear has helped hundreds of thousands of people either hear for the first time or reconnect them to their families, friends, workplaces and communities.

For more information, visit Cochlear.com.

SOURCE Cochlear Americas