15-year-old Dover High School student Joshua Romeo has never let his hearing loss slow him down

Diagnosed as profoundly deaf at birth, 15-year-old Dover High School student Joshua Romeo has never let his hearing loss slow him down. Joshua received his first cochlear implant at 13 months old, and received his second implant – which he describes as a “miracle” – in the fourth grade.

Since receiving his implants, Joshua has excelled in the classroom and his extracurricular activities, keeping up seamlessly with his other hearing classmates. Joshua is excited to start applying for college and hopes to attend an Ivy League school to obtain a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and one day work at NASA or SpaceX. Outside of the classroom, his implants have also enabled him to thrive in sports like cross country and track and field, by promoting communication with his coach and teammates.

Thanks to his impressive academic and athletic achievements, Joshua was just named a Cochlear Foundation National Inspirer! He hopes that his story will inspire others with hearing loss to never let it prevent them from achieving their dreams!