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A Kid with Many Talents—William’s Journey at Westpark

Thanks to AG Bell's School-Age scholarship, William has thrived academically and linguistically while pursuing his wide-ranging interests.

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William has always been multifaceted, interested in an array of different subjects. When he grows up, he wants to be a scientist, archeologist, and paleontologist! Since attending Westpark Elementary School, he’s been able to pursue all of these interests and more.

Westpark Elementary School provides several outlets for creativity, athleticism, and exploring the outdoors. This is what sparked William’s parents’ interest in the first place. Due to the many extracurricular activities, from weekend sports to piano and arts classes, the school does an excellent job at “provid[ing] children with the opportunity to develop their interests and make new friends,” William’s mother shared. Although it’s a mainstream school, Westpark really promotes language services for kids with hearing loss. William’s room teacher is also an iterant teacher from Montreal Oral School for the Deaf and works as a Speech Therapist at Westpark. This kind of understanding in deaf and hard of hearing education has really helped William thrive.

William was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at 2 years old and has severe-to-profound hearing loss in one ear, and profound hearing loss in the other. Seven months after his diagnosis, he was fitted with hearing aids. By the age of 3, he received bilateral cochlear implants, which greatly aided his Listening and Spoken Language journey.

With Westpark Elementary School, William’s parents saw significant improvement in his language and speaking skills. Since he lives in Quebec, a bilingual province in Canada, Westpark also focuses on dual immersion in the French and English languages. William has also been learning Mandarin and Cantonese, and is on the way to becoming even more impressive as a polylingual student.

Thanks to the 2024 School-Age Financial Aid scholarship, William’s able to continue excelling in anything and everything he puts his mind to.

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2026 School-Age Financial Aid scholarship. Apply by April 13, 2026, to support your child’s educational journey at parochial, independent, or traditional private schools.

Un niño con muchos talentos: la trayectoria de William en Westpark

William ha sido siempre un niño polifacético que muestra interés por una gran variedad de temas. Cuando sea mayor, ¡quiere ser científico, arqueólogo y paleontólogo! Desde que asiste a la escuela Westpark Elementary School, ha podido desarrollar todos estos intereses, entre otros.

Westpark Elementary School ofrece numerosas oportunidades para la creatividad, el deporte y el contacto con la naturaleza. Esto fue lo que despertó el interés de sus padres en primer lugar. Gracias a las numerosas actividades extraescolares, desde deportes de fin de semana hasta clases de piano y arte, la escuela destaca por «ofrecer a los niños la oportunidad de desarrollar sus intereses y hacer nuevos amigos», comenta la madre de William. Aunque es una escuela ordinaria, Westpark promueve los servicios lingüísticos para niños con pérdida auditiva. La tutora de William es también profesora itinerante de la Montreal Oral School for the Deaf y trabaja como logopeda en Westpark. Este nivel de comprensión de la educación de alumnos con sordera e hipoacusia ha ayudado considerablemente en el desarrollo de William.

A William le diagnosticaron pérdida auditiva neurosensorial bilateral a los 2 años y tiene una pérdida auditiva severa-profunda en un oído y profunda en el otro. Siete meses después del diagnóstico, empezó a utilizar audífonos. A los 3 años, recibió implantes cocleares bilaterales, lo que fue de una gran ayuda para avanzar en la Escucha y el Lenguaje Hablado.

Gracias a la Westpark Elementary School, sus padres han observado una mejora significativa en sus habilidades lingüísticas y del habla. Dado que vive en Quebec, una provincia bilingüe de Canadá, Westpark también se centra en la inmersión dual en los idiomas francés e inglés. William también está aprendiendo mandarín y cantonés, con el objetivo de ser políglota.

Gracias a la beca de ayuda económica para niños en edad escolar School-Age Financial Aid scholarship de 2024, William puede seguir destacando en todo lo que se proponga.

Actualmente se aceptan solicitudes para la beca 2026 School-Age Financial Aid. Presente su solicitud antes del 13 de abril de 2026 para apoyar la trayectoria educativa de su hijo(a) en centros religiosos, independientes o privados tradicionales.

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Stay in the Loop with AG Bell!

Be the first to know about webinars, events, symposiums, and more.

  • Timely Announcements

    Stay informed about upcoming conferences, webinars, and public events.

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    Get updates on thought leadership in hearing health, education, and innovation.

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    Access toolkits, expert tips, and opportunities to engage.

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    Get answers with access to our information library

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    A bilingual magazine with in-depth stories about growing up with hearing loss

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