Confidence Helps Teen Cope With Hearing Challenge

By Kennedy, 16, junior

Confidence is sometimes difficult to explain and sometimes difficult to understand. Nobody wants people to think they’re cocky, but nobody wants to be stepped all over either. The right balance is absolutely crucial. My confidence comes from the lemons that life has handed me and what I have learned from them.

I was born profoundly deaf. At 22 months, I underwent cochlear implant surgery, making me one of the first children to receive the implant in Texas. A cochlear implant is an electronic hearing device implanted in the inner ear that is activated by a device worn outside the ear. It truly is a miracle device because it allowed me to hear sound.

After the surgery, I was put in intensive, rigorous speech therapy where I learned to speak. I eventually caught up with my peers, allowing me to be mainstreamed in kindergarten. Because I was so young, I didn’t really think about who I was or feel different. Since then, I’ve been going to school like any normal teen. I’m starting my junior year this fall.

My parents never gave up on their deaf daughter. They wanted me to hear, and they wanted me to succeed. They pushed me and told me anything was possible. I played soccer, danced (ballet, flamenco, tap and jazz) and did things any regular kid could do. My life has been incredibly normal, and I have always been graciously welcomed by my peers who are fascinated and intrigued by my so-called disability.

I won’t lie, sometimes it has been hard. There have been days when I ask myself “why me?” There have been days when my life almost seems like a dream when I realize that in the blink of an eye my world can become silent. I always have to push back negative thoughts and stay positive because life could be so much worse.

Sometimes school can be a challenge, not necessarily keeping up the grades but making sure I get the accommodations I need. For the most part, I’m just a normal girl with teenage issues – parties, drama and boys. I just have the advantage of being able to turn off whenever I want. I get my fair share of deaf jokes from my guy friends, but I’ve learned to just brush it off and laugh along. I can’t change who I am, so I just accept it.

Growing up, I realized that by carrying my disability with pride and always welcoming questions, people have come to accept me. I also realized that the people who aren’t accepting are the ones who are ignorant and don’t know any better. I have discovered a confidence in myself that allows me to believe that I am able to do whatever I want because I am just the same as the person sitting next to me. I have the mindset of a social butterfly and a powerful spirit. I don’t let people walk over me. That personality comes from my parents and from within.

So, the moral of my story? Be yourself. Be proud of who you are. Be proud of what you can do. If people don’t accept you, that’s their problem. Every girl has something special; something that nobody else has. Own that. Carry yourself with confidence, and you will go far. Stay inspired. Stay motivated and know that you can absolutely conquer what you set your mind to regardless of what everyone tells you. Be proud of who you are, what you can do and stay true to yourself. Those qualities will make even your enemy admire you.