Queensland Scholarship Winner

Queensland Scholarship Winner

For Release: April 15, 2004

April 2004
Media Release

Queensland Cochlear Implant Recipient Wins Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship

A Queensland university student who has a cochlear implant to help him hear has won an international scholarship that honours the inventor of the multi-channel bionic ear.

Thomas Pell, who is studying for a Bachelor of Mathematics/Bachelor of Information Technology at Queensland University of Technology, is one of 50,000 people worldwide who have a Nucleus cochlear implant system.

He has been awarded The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship, which will assist Thomas towards achieving his dream of working in the information technology and digital technology field.

Born with a hearing impairment, Thomas received his cochlear implant in 1993 at age 6.

Most recently, he has been accepted into the Queensland University of Technology to study a Bachelor of Mathematics/Bachelor of Information Technology.

Thomas recently graduated from Mt Maria Senior College with an OP of 6 (the top 15% of students) and was Dux of the school.

Thomas received a number of academic awards at school, including first place in Advanced Mathematics, Religious Education and Graphics, as well as awards in English, Computing studies and Australian Studies.

Aside from school, Thomas also enjoys skiing, ice skating, bowling, running and swimming.

He has represented his school in swimming, cross country and athletics. Thomas also represented QLD in tennis at the Deaf Games in 2003 and is aiming to qualify for the Deaflympics in Melbourne in 2005.

Thomas said he hoped to demonstrate that cochlear implants opened up many opportunities to most hearing impaired people.

The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship was established in 2002 to assist people with cochlear implants to undertake tertiary studies.

Cochlear implants are designed to help people who have severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, or nerve deafness.

A cochlear implant is a technical medical device that electronically stimulates the hearing nerve of the cochlea (inner ear).

It is designed to allow people with severe to profound hearing loss to perceive sound.

More information call 1 800 620 929