Lucas Anmolsingh, Ear Community college scholarship recipient, September 2024. Yale University.
September 2024
Congratulations to Lucas Anmolsingh for being one of our Ear Community college scholarship recipients this year!
Lucas was born with microtia and atresia of his right ear and is from Stewartsville, New Jersey. Growing up in a rural town, Lucas explains that the terms microtia and aural atresia were unknown to most. Lucas was a shy kid and often tried to hide his condition, rarely speaking about it. He felt his microtia and atresia was something to be embarrassed of and something that made him feel inferior to others, in addition to feeling alone. His parents were also never informed of any hearing loss communities or helpful resources in their small hometown. However, when he was entering high school, Lucas discovered Ear Community’s website! Lucas explained in his scholarship application, “Not meaning to be dramatic, but the Ear Community website changed my life! I was not aware of the resources, information and community of shared stories that I was missing out on!” As a result, Lucas wanted to help give back and created the website, www.supportforauralatresia.com, when he was in high school sharing his perspective on living with aural atresia. Since then, Lucas has learned to embrace his microtia and atresia, even going on to share his story during a senior class retreat!
Lucas currently attends Yale University where he is pursuing a B.S. degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, with a concentration in Biotechnology. He plans to attend medical school eventually becoming an otolaryngologist, which he believes will allow him to make a lasting impact on others in a way that he can personally relate to his patients while fulfilling his interest in surgery. Lucas is a volunteer at the Yale New Haven Hospital’s infections disease ward as an aid and has volunteered to help other students on campus as a medical debt and insurance counselor for low-income CT residents.
Lucas knows that hearing loss can be scary! In addition to his aural atresia, Lucas struggles with hearing loss in his non-microtic/atretic ear due to a perforated ear drum that is now causing gradual hearing loss. However, he knows that he is not alone and this gives him the confidence to endure any future roadblocks. Even at Yale, Lucas quickly realized that scholarships for hearing loss are hard to come by. Lucas wanted Ear Community to know how thankful he is to our organization by saying “thank you for all of your organization’s work, and I would like to reiterate that what you do makes a real difference! Whether it’s the technical resources, informative contacts/videos or support advice (which my parents and I have all personally used), your resources are vital to the hearing loss community!” Someday, I hope to help those who are just like me and I wish to use your platform to be an advocate for aural atresia, to spread awareness and build confidence in kids with microtia and atresia.”
Congratulations, Lucas! We are SO PROUD of YOU!!! Enjoy learning everything that is needed at Yale and go on to do great things, Lucas!
Thank you!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder – Executive Director
Ear Community
