40 I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer during my fourth year of residency. That battle changed me internally. I recall days where I wasn’t certain I would live to graduate, but I was determined to do everything within my power to live and help others. Since graduating from NSU, I have worked in various sectors, including public health, veterans’ health, military readiness, education, and philanthropy. Working in these sectors demonstrated a common thread, which is the lack of audiology services in underserved and under- resourced areas. I harbored the dream of building a mobile clinic for more than a decade. Time off during the COVID-19 pandemic provided time to gather my thoughts, lay out a feasible plan, and calculate costs. I created a vision board and an action word map centered around my desires. I modified my graduate school busi- ness plan and began to invest in my area of weakness—business. Although I was diagnosed with hearing loss at an early age, I wasn’t aware of the severity until graduate school. I recall my first visit to the audiologist around the age of six. I remember the inviting office with a cobalt blue testing suite, which really caught my eye. The moment that piqued my interest occurred when I watched the audiologist intently through the observation window and followed her instructions. For some reason, what she was doing intrigued me and made a lifetime impression. The memory was reignited during my adolescent years after watching The Miracle Worker. I was intrigued with how Anne Sullivan met Helen Keller at the level of her ability at the time and used creative methods to help her reach her fullest potential. I desired to help people in that capacity. I value the education I received at NSU, because it provided me with ample opportunity to grow and learn— not just from the university’s clinic and professors—but from other audi- ologists with varying specialties. Meet the Mobile Audiologist CARLA (BRANDI) SMILEY, AU.D. (’06) Owner and Operating Audiologist of the First Tiny House Hearing Clinic on Wheels— Onsite Audiology, LLC In 2022, Carla (Brandi) Smiley’s dream of mobilizing audiology services came to fruition following the construction of her tiny house hearing clinic on wheels. The mobile clinic is a 20’ x 8’ clinic on wheels built using sound-attenuating materials. The 15,000pound clinic is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, has a small waiting area, a sound-treated examination room, and modern audiologic equipment. Shark Encounters DR. PALLAVI PATEL COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES
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