From left, in front, Brook McGill, Ryann Souza, Riya Antony, Katie Garrity, Marisol Rodriguez.
From left, in back, Alexis Tavolaro, Austin Barr, Beth Kudelka, Victor Garcia, Stormy McGuiness, Manpreet Sandhu, Tyler Sponder.
On May 19, 2023, twelve Doctor of Audiology students from Nova Southeastern University traveled to Capitol Hill, accompanied by three faculty members, Patricia Gaffney, Au.D., Alyssa Needleman, Ph.D., and Erica Friedland, Au.D., to advocate for the profession of audiology and raise awareness for current legislation affecting the field.
The Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) advocacy day was in coordination with the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). AAA organized eleven meetings with the offices of Senators and Representatives from the home states of the students. The group of students represented Florida, Minnesota, Delaware, Massachusetts, and California. Advocating on Capitol Hill was a first for eight of the students who attended this year with the remaining four also participating in an advocacy day in Tallahassee in March 2023. The NSU SAA chapter strongly believes that promoting hearing health, spreading healthcare awareness, and participating in advocacy opportunities are necessary to become more involved.
From left, in back, Au.D. faculty members, Patricia Gaffney, Alyssa Needleman, and Au.D. students, Austin Barr, Victor Garcia, Brook McGill.
From left, in front, Au.D. students, Katie Garrity, Riya Antony, Ryann Souza, Beth Kudelka, Stormy McGuiness, Manpreet Sandhu, and Au.D. faculty member, Erica Friedland, and Au.D. students, Marisol Rodriguez, Tyler Sponder.
NSU SAA’s government relations chair, Tyler Sponder, coordinated with Susan Pilch, of the American Academy of Audiology’s Government Relations department, to ensure NSU would have a strong voice on the Hill. The student advocates attended meetings in groups with one student as primary, which allowed each participant to independently have a voice and bring their personal stories to the table. Ally’s Act (H.R. 477/S.41), the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act, and the soon-to-be-introduced Medicare Audiology Access and Improvement Act were emphasized during each meeting.
Each student had the opportunity to share how these critical issues are contributing positively and/or negatively to the audiology profession. The students expressed that this trip encouraged them to feel empowered. They stated that they will continue to advocate in the future as well as help audiology remain well-represented on Capitol Hill.
The students and faculty members would like to thank everyone involved in the planning of this trip and those who contributed to its success. The doctoral students had a great time expressing their voices for their future profession.