Simply looking at Katherine Olson doesn\u2019t tell you the magnitude of challenges she has overcome.<\/p>\n
Olson, who graduated from UCF on Friday, was diagnosed with severe hearing loss when she was 4. She received her first pair of hearing aids before she even entered kindergarten.<\/p>\n
Her parents insisted that she attend mainstream schools, and despite the extra hours of studying and ups-and-downs with speech therapy, she excelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve surprised myself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Although she knew it would be a challenge, Olson pursued a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Initially intimidated by the higher dropout rate of students with similar impairments, she was determined to finish school and graduate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I could use one word to describe my daughter, it would be \u2018driven.\u2019 She always has been driven to succeed,\u201d says Katherine\u2019s father, George Olson.<\/p>\n