This trip to the Dominican Republic marked a 14-year commitment the Utah State University audiology program has with Starkey Hearing Foundation. Eleven students and faculty joined our hearing mission to help individuals that have no access to health care. 

Involving audiology students in the process plants seeds for their future careers and highlights the positive impact that caring for one patient or hundreds of patients can have. The students gain confidence with each patient they help.

We were able to serve over 1,000 people in a week’s time in these cities during Phase 2 and Phase 3 AfterCare.

We were also joined on the hearing mission by some of our wonderful sponsors, who continue to support the programs, including Jonathan and Elizabeth Severn and Charles Hilliard. We love sharing the work with friends, new and old.

Of the experience, one student said,
“I feel satisfied with the USU AuD humanitarian mission experience I had. The Starkey team was amazing to work with and the mission itself provided HUGE benefit to my academic career and supported my decision to attend USU’s program.”

Another said,
“The mission trip surpassed my expectations. I was satisfied with how much time we spent working on the missions. I got to see many patients and learn how to work with and troubleshoot the hearing aids quickly.”