My name is Tiffany Humphreys, and I am a professor at Brigham Young University–Idaho. This semester, I have the privilege of teaching a student named Senait Ricks. I am sharing her story because we are hoping to help her receive hearing aids that would truly change her daily life.
Senait was adopted from Ethiopia and is deaf. Her sister is also deaf and lives in Utah. They stay connected through FaceTime and support each other as best they can, but living in different states can feel very lonely. On campus, there are only a few students who know sign language, and many of them will not be here next semester. Because of that, Senait often has to navigate college life with very limited communication support.
She works incredibly hard to pursue her education and build a future for herself. In class, Senait has an interpreter, which helps a great deal. But outside of class, that support is not always available. Much of the college experience happens in conversations after class, ward activities, ward prayer, and everyday social moments with other students. These are the times when friendships grow and students feel connected. For Senait, many of those moments are difficult to access.
Most of the time, she relies on lip reading to understand people. Lip reading is only about 40 percent accurate even in the best situations. It requires intense focus and constant effort. By the end of many days, she has headaches from trying so hard to keep up with conversations.
There are also safety concerns. Several times this semester, Senait has been walking on campus sidewalks and has not heard people approaching from behind her, including bicycles. Moments like that can be frightening and dangerous.
One of the things she misses most is music. Hearing aids would allow her to experience music again, which is something many of us take for granted.
The hearing aids Senait needs cost $4,070. For a college student, that is an overwhelming expense. With hearing aids, she would be able to hear about 70 to 80 percent of what is happening around her. Conversations would become easier. She could participate more fully in daily life and feel more connected to the people around her.
Our hope is to come together as a community and help provide something that will make a meaningful difference in her life.
Any contribution, large or small, would mean so much. Thank you for being willing to bless Senait so she can enjoy college life more.