{"id":226119,"date":"2025-05-05T14:26:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=226119"},"modified":"2025-05-07T10:18:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:18:44","slug":"two-montclair-state-university-students-turn-their-own-hearing-loss-into-audiology-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2025\/05\/05\/two-montclair-state-university-students-turn-their-own-hearing-loss-into-audiology-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Montclair State University Students Turn Their Own Hearing Loss into Audiology Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story is part of a series celebrating Montclair State University\u2019s Spring Commencement 2025 graduates <\/em>\u2013 students who embody the University\u2019s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.<\/em><\/p>\n

Doctor of Audiology students at Montclair State University Grace Gleba and Nicole Genser were both born with hearing loss and fitted with hearing aids as infants. This week, they graduate with Audiology<\/a> degrees and don white coats, marking their transition from students to professionals, during a ceremony at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Their story is a full-circle journey that started at Summit Speech School, a preschool dedicated to teaching spoken language to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They were not close at the time and only discovered that coincidence years later when they reconnected at Montclair, drawn independently to the same program by personal experiences and a shared desire to help others.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like an invisible string tied us together,\u201d says Gleba. \u201cThis shared experience from our early years somehow strengthened our connection in adulthood. Reconnecting in grad school felt like the culmination of a journey that began long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Genser agrees: \u201cWe\u2019ve supported one another while learning to navigate this field \u2013 not just as patients, but now as providers. Being able to lean on someone who gets it makes the challenges feel less overwhelming and lonely. It\u2019s comforting to know our bond is now lifelong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctor of Audiology Program Director Maryrose McInerney says Gleba and Genser have been exceptional students. \u201cGrace and Nicole bring a unique and empathetic perspective to audiology shaped by their hearing loss,\u201d she says. \u201cBoth are academic standouts, servant-leaders and passionate advocates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Grace
Grace Gleba, who was born with hearing loss and advocated for hearing access for children from an early age, is graduating as a doctor of Audiology. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fueling Purpose Through Advocacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gleba\u2019s advocacy began early. As a child, she became the namesake of \u201cGrace\u2019s Law,\u201d enacted in 2009 to require insurance coverage for children\u2019s hearing aids in New Jersey. Last year, the law expanded to include cochlear implants.<\/p>\n

Her diagnosis resulted from voluntary newborn hearing screening; today, auditory screenings<\/a> are mandated statewide. Her mother, Jeanine Gleba, discovered that hearing aids weren\u2019t covered by insurance for newborns. Mother and daughter fought for legislative change for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a parent learns at birth that their child is deaf, it is devastating,\u201d Jeanine says. \u201cYou don’t know if they will ever hear words such as \u2018I love you,\u2019 speak like the rest of the hearing world or have a successful career. You wonder if many doors might not be opened for a child with a disability and what challenges lie ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the Glebas helped prepare Grace to succeed in a hearing world. \u201cWe never let her deafness define her, and we always had high expectations for her,\u201d Jeanine says.<\/p>\n

\"Grace
Born with hearing loss and a passionate advocate for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Nicole Genser examines a client at Montclair\u2019s Audiology Clinic. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How Montclair\u2019s Audiology Program Made the Difference<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gleba and Genser thrived in Montclair\u2019s research-based, patient-centered program, the only doctoral audiology program in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

They collaborated on pioneering research that addressed challenges faced by audiologists with hearing loss, focusing on clinical tools like listening scopes. Gleba, who presented her findings on “Assessment of Modified Listening Stethoscopes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiologists with Emphasis on Gain and Frequency Shifting” at the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NJSLHA) explains that standard listening checks weren\u2019t always accessible due to her own hearing loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was unable to dependably listen to hearing aids programmed for individuals with milder hearing loss. As a result, I found myself depending either on verified objective measurements or on my normal-hearing peers to complete listening checks,\u201d Gleba says. \u201cI realized this wasn\u2019t just a personal hurdle \u2013 it was a broader issue of equity in clinical practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Genser explored a related topic: \u201cAssessing Distortion in Modified Listening Scopes for Deaf Audiologists<\/a>.\u201d She presented at state and national conferences and published in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association\u2019s academic journal. \u00a0“I feel fortunate to have spent four years in a program that not only provided a strong clinical foundation, but also truly encouraged student initiative and ideas,\u201d she says. “I was supported in my desire to share my work beyond the classroom through widespread means that help move our field forward, establish the narrative, and amplify underrepresented perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leadership Beyond the Classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Both women balanced rigorous academic and clinical schedules with part-time jobs and extensive community service. They:<\/p>\n