The Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources Associate Board is comprised of young adults directly affected by hearing loss, either personally or professionally. We proudly have some of the first generation of cochlear implant recipients sitting on our Associate Board, guiding and giving back. In addition, our dedicated Associate Board members are early intervention experts, teachers of the deaf/ hard of hearing in both private and public schools in Illinois, and professionals with a family connection to hearing loss. Through their mentorship program and community gatherings, the Associate Board works to create connections for kids with hearing loss.
A Huge thank you to the Little Owl Social Pub 3747 Grand Blvd, Brookfield IL for hosting Cheers and Beers for Ears – The Associate Board Fundraiser for Loaner Hearing Aid Banks throughout Chicagoland.Â
We exceeded all expectations and have already raised over 14,000.00!!
You can still Donate and Help kids with Hearing LossÂ
THE ASSOCIATE BOARD
Sabrina Barkal - Associate Board
Sabrina received her B.S in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign. She currently is a graduate student at Rush University pursuing her masters in Speech Language Pathology. Sabrina is passionate about working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as a multitude of other language deficits, along with their families. She has volunteered with Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Lurie Children’s Hospital, as well as Carle Hospital with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.Â
Laura Conway, J.D. - Associate Board
Ms. Conway, a recent graduated of William & Mary Law School, serves as a legal advocate for individuals with disabilities with Illinois Legal Aid. As one of the first generation of children with hearing loss to receive a Cochlear Implant, Ms. Conway has worked tirelessly to assure equity and parity for all individuals. Happy to be back in Chicago, Ms. Conway looks forward to continuing her work on special education and disability rights while she serves on the Associate Board.
Jamie Davidson, M.Ed, DT-H
Ms. Davidson has been working within the Deaf & Hard of Hearing field for over 8 years. She graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor's degree in special education specializing in Deaf & Hard of Hearing. She is eager to continue and expand educational experiences and graduated from National Louis University with a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction with Advanced Professional Specializations; concentrations in English as a Second Language (ESL) and Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS). Jamie currently works as a hearing itinerant teacher at the Cooperative Association for Special Education (CASE) with school-aged students who have a hearing loss. Jamie is also credentialed and works in early intervention as a Developmental Therapist - Hearing Specialist, supporting families and providing aural rehabilitation to children who have a hearing loss birth to 3 years of age. Aside from work, Jamie enjoys reading, skiing anywhere in the mountains and spending time with her family and friends.
EmilyAnn Duffley - Associate Board
EmilyAnn Duffley is an aspiring pediatric audiologist who has special interests in cochlear implants, newborn hearing testing, and music perception. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Audiology at Northwestern University, where she served as the campus representative for the Illinois Academy of Audiology. She is also completing her year-long externship at Child’s Voice in Wood Dale. EmilyAnn earned dual degrees in Speech and Hearing Sciences and Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2019 and was the Chair of Cheers for Ears in 2021.
Katie Farnsworth- Co-Chair
Katherine Farnsworth, AuD CCC-AÂ
Katie completed her doctorate in Audiology in 2015 from Rush University Medical Center. Currently, she is a pediatric Audiologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, where she is on the cochlear implant team. Katie's lifelong ambition has been to work with children who have hearing loss; she was diagnosed with a bilateral severe hearing loss at age 2. Katie is passionate about planning events that children with hearing loss are able to connect with others. When not at the hospital, Katie enjoys spending time with her growing family and competing in triathlons.
Natalie Goldman - Co-Chair
Natalie received her B.S. in Linguistics from Washington University in St. Louis with a minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She currently works for Henry Crown and Company and is involved in the firm’s venture investments in the healthcare sector. Natalie is passionate about working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. She has volunteered with the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, the Child’s Voice School in Chicago, and the Thirty Million Words Project at the University of Chicago.
Haley Gubbins - Associate Board
Haley Gubbins majored in Special Education – Specialist in Deaf and Hard of Hearing with a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Illinois State University in May of 2017. She is currently a preschool teacher at Child’s Voice School in Woodale, Il. Haley is working on her Masters Degree in Special Education at Illinois State University. As a new Associate Board member, Haley is looking forward to planning events for children with hearing loss and their families. In her free time, Haley enjoys crafting and using her Cricut cutting machine. In addition to all of her other passions, she has created her own line of hearing loss decals!
Sarah Moats - Associate Board
Sarah Moats recently graduated from Indiana University in May 2020 with a major in Speech & Hearing Sciences. She worked alongside several Audiologists and conducted her own research exploring the physiological mechanisms of hearing in complex multi-talker environments. Although she is currently studying Speech-Language Pathology at Rush University, Sarah remains a passionate advocate for hard of hearing and deaf individuals. She is excited to join the FHSR Associate Board and continue to empower and create support groups for individuals with hearing loss.
Maura Mullen - Associate Board
Maura Mullen recently graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2020, where she double majored in communication sciences and disorders and Spanish. She is currently working towards her masters degree at Rush University Medical Center for Speech-language pathology. Maura is excited to join the associated board of FHSR to assist in creting a community support system for children with hearing loss and their families. As an aspiring Speech-language pathologist, Maura is also excited to help bring awareness about the speech and language development in children with hearing loss.
Kim Tasharski - Co-Chair
BE A PART OF IT ALL.
Join our Associate Board.
Looking for a way to connect with other young professionals in the Chicagoland area while giving back to a great cause? Volunteers for the FHSR Associate Board work collaboratively to create exciting events for deaf and hard of hearing children building a true support community for the families. Fun social gatherings and fundraising events to support loaner hearing aid programs round out the mission of the Board, which is made up of Members under 35 who have either been directly affected by hearing loss, work with deaf and hard of hearing children or have a desire to help Illinois children.
