Fourth-year Laurentian University nursing student Claudia Bogdanowicz is the recipient of a scholarship from Canadian Hearing Services. It is the second time she has received support for her baccalaureate degree. 

Bogdanowicz has worn a cochlear implant since the age of five. She lost her hearing at four, when she was learning to speak English, her second language. She says she knew from middle school that she was meant to work in health care.

“Many of my family members are in that professional field and I’ve always had a passion for learning,” she says. “My life path just so happened to land me in the nursing field, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, honestly. Since the first week of the nursing program, I’ve really discovered what it means to be a nurse, and it is such an honourable profession to be in.” 

Wearing masks during the pandemic made it difficult for Bogdanowicz to understand others, she admits. But through perseverance, she adapted and is now able to understand patients and colleagues with or without masks. 

When she graduates, Bogdanowicz says she will “take as many opportunities as the profession and further education can offer.” Her ultimate goal is to work in women’s health. (Sudbury.com, Sept. 18)