The year 2020 has been a year of changes. It seems like every week there is something new going on in the
world. Ear Community has been working tirelessly to continue supporting the Microtia and Atresia
community throughout the uncertainty of this year. We were so thrilled when we received the application letter for our latest college scholarship awardee!
Please meet Clara Hodel, a 17-year-old who lives in Illinois and already has such a clear path ahead of her!
Clara reached out to us at the beginning of the year, shortly before COVID-19 hit the United States.
Despite the drastic changes that have happened over the course of 2020, Clara has held tight to wanting
to get her higher education. But first, a little about this fierce young woman; Clara was born with Microtia and Atresia of her right ear and knew early on she wanted to pursue a career in Orthotics and Prosthetics. She knew that working in that field would give her the opportunity to help people of all kinds of disabilities and knowing how it feels to be a little different would be vital to her success in that career.
Before she was finished with High School, Clara took intro classes for Orthotics and Prosthetics. She said that having Microtia and Atresia is one of the main reasons she chose this career path. Her first step is to get her undergraduate degree at Illinois Central College. Later she would go to a four-year university to finish her bachelor’s. She plans to get a degree in Kinesiology or something similar which would then enable her to get her Master’s in Orthotics and Prosthetics. She plans to get all of this done in about six years! This girl is on fire!
Clara said that “being born with Microtia and Atresia has taught me how to work in situations that may not be ideal. Partial deafness (….) has given me compassion for anyone with a disability and unique way for personal connection.” Clara is not a candidate for reconstruction surgery and has never been aided, yet she has maintained such a positive outlook in life and a fierce drive to excel. She also shared with us that she “want(s) to leave an impact on people’s lives and be able to give them a better life”. We know that Clara can do anything she puts her mind to. She has not let being hard of hearing slow her down, and she certainly hasn’t let the insanity of this year stop her plans from changing the world. Ear Community is honored to be a part of her journey and cannot wait to see the wonderful impact she has on this world.
Ear Community could not do the good work of supporting higher education for college students if it were not for our fantastic sponsors, and donors from the community. Ear Community is your community, it is Clara’s community, and coming together to support others is such a beautiful thing. Good luck with school, Clara, we know you are doing to rock it!
