SAA Student Scholarship Spotlight: Soumya Venkitakrishnan

Soumya Venkitakrishnan is a third-year audiology student at the University of Iowa and a recipient of the 2018-2019 Sadanand Singh Memorial Scholarship. We asked Soumya a few questions to get to know her and her thoughts about the profession.

What inspired you to go into Audiology?

I was interested in doing something that involved helping people improve their quality of life and so joined Speech and Hearing. Out of the two, Audiology interested me more as a science.

If you could go back to your first day of grad school, what would you tell yourself?

You’ve got what it takes, but it’ll take everything you’ve got!

What has been your favorite audiology-related memory so far?

When a patient told me that I have a great future waiting for me!

What does patient-centered care mean to you?

To me, it means I treat each patient as if they were my relative/ friend and keep their care/ needs as foremost.

What advice do you have for undergrads interested in audiology?

If you work hard and find your way, this field can provide a lot of mental satisfaction.

If you had to eat one meal everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pizza

What is your favorite Emoji?

😉

You have to sing karaoke, what song would you choose?

“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele

Sadanand Singh Memorial Scholarship is awarded  is awarded to one minority or international student who shows exceptional promise in audiology research. The application for the 2019-2020 scholarship will be made available on the SAA website in early Spring.