Two School of Communication Science and Disorders (SCSD) undergraduate audiology students, Eva Gegovski and Hannah Figueras, represented Florida State University at the Florida Special Olympics Healthy Hearing (SOHH) event this fall. These students provided valuable assistance to clinicians by assisting with hearing screenings and showcasing their skills.

Gegovski and Figueras delivered otoscopy, otoacoustic emissions testing, and tympanometry tests, among other assessments, under the supervision of a licensed audiologist.

Gegovski reflected, “Hearing health is more than just assessing someone’s hearing abilities; it’s about ensuring everyone has the ability to communicate and fully participate in their daily activities and hobbies. This experience helped deepen my understanding of how providing hearing care to underserved populations is crucial.”

The volunteer experience deepened their understanding of accommodation. Beyond audio testing, one-on-one interactions with patients provided a better understanding of each individual’s particular circumstances and needs.

“Small changes like explaining every step and speaking in a calm manner help make the patient comfortable,” said Gegovski. “This reinforces how important communicating and attending to a person’s needs, whether a patient or any human being, is.”

“Knowing I impacted the lives of so many people by serving the community at this volunteer event was very rewarding,” said Figueras.

The Special Olympics Healthy Hearing event served as a strong reminder to Gegovski and Figueras about why they chose the field of audiology. FSU’s partnership with SOHH will continue to provide upcoming audiology students with clinical experiences combining skill and empathy, making a lasting impact on their community.