The Perfect Coincidence or God’s Plan?

I’ve seen a lot of wonderful and amazing things while volunteering with Starkey Hearing Foundation. People show enormous amounts of kindness during hearing missions, and it’s a sight to behold. It seems like we always show up at precisely the right moment to help someone in need or raise someone's spirits. One such occasion happened right here in Minnesota during the 2017 Super Bowl.

My little brother, William, was at the Kyle Rudolph Football ProCamp held at Providence Academy. All the kids were paired into groups to play football when my brother and dad noticed that a player on William’s team, Ernie, had a hearing aid. It was a large, bulky hearing aid that didn’t fit very well on his ear. My dad asked Ernie where his mom was. My mom then went over to talk to her about Ernie’s hearing aids. Ernie’s mom was so thankful to talk to someone who understood what their family was going through. Despite a blizzard outside, we decided to ask them to come to Starkey so Ernie could be fit with new technology to help him hear better, especially while playing sports. (His current hearing aids made it hard for him to wear his football helmet.)

What are the odds that of all days, the day the Starkey team was having a hearing mission right in town, that we would meet this family? We ended up taking Ernie’s whole family to the Starkey campus.

I was at Starkey helping with the mission we had set up. The team there fit Ernie with the latest, behind-the-ear hearing aids. He LOVED them! He was smiling for the rest of the day.

Not only were we able to help Ernie hear better and connect with the world around him, but we also made a special connection with his family. We all became friends and they even come over for game night every once in awhile. Ernie plays video games with my brother and his friends. They’re just the nicest family you could ever meet.

Ernie’s improved hearing has impacted more than just his social life. He is now doing better in school. It can be hard to be engaged in your education when you suffer from hearing loss, but now that he can communicate more effectively with his teachers and classmates, he’s loving life!

Some may say this was just a coincidence, but I believe it was God’s plan for my family to meet Ernie. Our days are filled with opportunities to change someone’s life for the better - sometimes on a small scale, sometimes on a larger scale like in Ernie’s situation. Either way, every opportunity we face is there for a reason. Don’t miss your opportunity to make someone's day!

Endrias - From Ethiopia to Our Family

It’s no surprise that my family is anything but typical. My father, Brandon Sawalich, is the President of Starkey Hearing Technologies. My grandparents, Bill & Tani Austin, are the founders of Starkey Hearing Foundation. My brother, William, drives race cars and my mother is the glue that holds us all together. But there’s one very important member of my family many probably don’t know about - Endrias.

To explain who Endrias really is and what he means to my family, I have to backtrack.

Endrias was found in a small village in Ethiopia. My grandparents were there on a hearing mission. Endrias had come to the Starkey Hearing Foundation mission for the same reason many do, for the chance to connect with the world around them through hearing. My grandfather says it was obvious Endrias was suffering from more than just a hearing loss; his entire leg was swollen. My grandfather asked an interpreter to help him speak with Endrias and learn about his condition. What he found out was sad, shocking and a bit unimaginable.

Endrias’ parents were both dead; his mother died from starvation and his father from an illness. His siblings were not willing or able to take care of him, so Endrias lived under a tree in his village. Because of his health condition, the people there thought he was cursed, and he was branded an outcast. They would throw rocks at him because of it. After my grandfather heard this story, he made it his mission to help Endrias. He arranged for Endrias to travel to Israel and be treated by a medical professional for his swollen leg and help with any other health issues he was suffering from. Later, in 2014, my Uncle Steven surprised my grandfather at the Starkey Gala by bringing Endrias to the event! It was such a touching reunion. It’s not very often we get to see how our work during hearing missions impacts people’s day-to-day life.

While he was in town visiting, we immersed Endrias in everything we possibly could! We brought him to one of William’s t-ball games and the Mall of America. We took him out to eat. He LOVED hamburgers, which was so funny, but it was something he’d never tried before. After a while, my family couldn’t bear the thought of sending Endrias back. The way he’d been treated was terrible and in a short time, it started to feel like he was a part of our family. My parents talked it over and decided to take Endrias in.

Endrias is one of the happiest people I know. He is always smiling and not a day goes by that our family doesn’t feel grateful to have him in our lives. It’s funny how the world works sometimes. One brief meeting, half-way around the world, changed Endrias’ whole life, and in turn, our lives will never be the same.

Learning From My Family, The Hearing Industry’s Best

This March, I had the unique opportunity to travel overseas with my dad, grandpa and other members of Starkey Hearing Technologies executive team to witness the global launch of their revolutionary new hearing aid, Livio AI. I’ve worked with hearing aids countless times during Starkey Hearing Foundation missions, but this was different. This hearing aid was something my grandfather, Bill Austin, had been dreaming about for years, and I am so thankful I was there to watch his vision become a reality.

Livio AI is not just a hearing aid. It is a multi-function device that is going to help people around the world hear better and live better. My grandfather knew the potential hearing aids possessed long before smart phones or fitness trackers were mainstream. With my grandfather’s vision in mind, my dad and his team developed the first hearing aid with artificial intelligence and integrated sensors. This allows it to not only be the best sounding hearing aid ever created, but it also detects when the wearer falls and alerts loved ones, translates languages and tracks brain and body health.

The global launch of Livio AI started for me in South Africa. While on this global launch, I was not only learning about the business, but also working for the Starkey Hearing Technologies’ social media team back in Minnesota. I helped supply images from the launch events and log quotes from the Starkey executive team to support them in their efforts. It was fun and gave me a new perspective into the world of public relations.

After South Africa, we went onto India and Abu Dhabi for more launch events. We were also in Abu Dhabi for the Special Olympics World Games. That was an emotional experience. Some of the athletes had gone their entire lives without hearing. When they were fit with hearing aids, they were so overcome with emotion that everyone was crying tears of joy.

When our work at the Special Olympics was over, we continued the global launch of Livio AI in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. It was a busy two weeks, but completely worth it! I learned so many things about the hearing industry, the world’s cultures and my dad. My dad and I are alike in that public speaking has never been something we’re afraid of. Watching him speak to large groups of people time and time again has given me more confidence in myself. We are also both history buffs and loved visiting historical sites along the way like Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower and Beethoven’s house.

Throughout my travels, I noticed a special juxtaposition among all the Starkey Hearing Technologies’ teams around the globe: they are all so different, yet they share one unifying affinity - they are all invested in and inspired by their product, Livio AI, and by the Starkey team from Minnesota. It's amazing and humbling to see firsthand how my family’s dreams have impacted lives both near and far. What started as a small hearing aid shop in Minnesota has grown into a business with a purpose that is supported and championed by people all over the world.

During the global launch, Dr. Achin Bhowmik said, “The vision is what helps us look beyond what is possible.”These words apply directly to my grandpa and his once-radical dream, a dream which sparked and mobilized a hearing revolution. This launch showed me how one person with a vision can truly make a difference. I am so proud and grateful to be a part of this hearing family, and I aspire to carry on my grandfather's legacy by helping people all over the world hear, one ear at a time.

Pros and Cons of Non-Traditional High School

I love online school. It works great for my lifestyle and schedule, but it’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone.

I’ve done both the traditional and non-traditional path to education. I went to middle and part of high school at Providence Academy in Plymouth, MN. When I was 15, I enrolled at the University of Nebraska Online High School. There are a lot of things you give up when you take the non-traditional path to education. I made the decision to switch because it allowed me to pursue my passion - volunteering!

I’ve been a volunteer with Starkey Hearing Foundation ever since I was little. I’m addicted to the work! There’s nothing more gratifying than being a part of changing someone’s life. As I grew older, I knew I wanted to do more philanthropy work with them. (I actually plan to major in Philanthropy when I attend college.) But volunteering with the Foundation often means weeks away from home, in a different country and time zone, multiple times a year. This work is so important to me, but so is my education. I did some research and approached my parents with the idea of doing online school. After a few conversations, they agreed it was the best way for me to pursue my passion while still getting a great education.

With online classes, I get to make my own schedule. Sometimes it means I only have to do school work for two to six hours a day instead of the traditional seven or eight (not to mention the time it takes to do homework after school is out.) But that doesn’t mean it’s easier. Online classes can be challenging. You don’t have a teacher there to help you. You’re teaching yourself the material and if you teach yourself incorrectly, you have to go back and do it all again. I’ve found that learning a new language is hard without a teacher there to guide me.

You also have to be very self-motivated to be successful in online school. I needed to set strict deadlines and goals for myself. When I prepare for a Starkey Hearing Foundation mission, I plan about two to three weeks out. I pick a spot in the curriculum and tell myself, “I need to get this much work done before I leave.”

Another thing I really love about online schooling is that I get to set my own pace. If I’m understanding the material, I can move on to the next section. In a classroom setting, the teacher has to make sure every student understands the material before moving ahead. On the flip side, I don’t get to learn with all my friends. I still get to see them, but it’s outside traditional school hours.

Looking back, online high school was the right path for me. I get a great education, yet also have the opportunity to learn so much more traveling the world with Starkey Hearing Foundation. I get to visit new countries, meet amazing people and experience different cultures firsthand. I get to make a difference in people’s lives by helping them hear the world around them! I’m so grateful to my parents for allowing me to take this non-traditional education path because I get the best of both worlds. I get a great high school education, and I gain valuable life-lessons from my travels.

How Kibera, Kenya Taught Me To Find Happiness In The Little Things

Helping people all over the world hear has been apart of my life for as long as I can remember. It was a passion instilled in me by my grandparents, who founded the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Seeing how hard they work and the kindness they show complete strangers is awe-inspiring. That’s why, when I was old enough, I made it my mission to help as many people as possible by volunteering with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Serving others is such a rewarding feeling. It can also be an eye-opening experience. This became most apparent on my recent hearing mission to the countries of Zambia and Kenya in Africa. After we fit as many patients as possible in Zambia with hearing aids, we traveled to Kenya where we got a chance to immerse ourselves in the culture and see the country. We visited the Starkey offices in Nairobi where I met a woman who has been a patient for more than 10 years. 10 years! It’s amazing that in the most remote areas of the world, our team is able to stay connected with the people and patients we help. After that, we made our way to Kibera.

A few years ago in Kibera, three Shofco water towers were built. These towers offer free, clean drinking water, plus showers and restrooms for the people in the area to use. Our team went to visit one of the towers. While we were there we saw young girls, maybe 7 or 8 years old, filling gigantic buckets full of water. My first thought was, “I hope these poor children don’t have to carry these heavy bucket all by themselves.” Unfortunately, that was the reality. I offered to help carry the bucket for one of the girls and she agreed. She then took off down the road, and I hurried after her. We went up a steep hill and through alleyways. The entire time I was thinking, “This is hard work. How in the world does this tiny human do this every day?!” We finally got to her building, where we travelled up a broken and rickety set of stairs. We went past doorways to other homes where the only barrier to the outside elements was a sheet or blanket. We went higher and higher in the building, to a point where the heat was nearly unbearable. Finally, we reached her home. I gave her the bucket of water and she was so happy. She was smiling ear to ear! To say thank you, she gave me a decorative piece of tissue paper she had saved. I was so touched! This young girl, who had so little, was giving me something very special just for helping her carry water. Water! Something I have plumbed into my home. It’s available to me 24/7, and I’m only ever a few steps away from having access to it!

This experience made me understand the importance of being grateful for what you have. The people of Kibera are happy and work harder than most people I know. While I was there, I also had a chance to visit the library. The students there didn’t have computers. They were reading and taking notes on a piece of notebook paper. They didn’t drive to school; they walked. For some of them, they walked miles to get there just so they could study.

This trip gave me a new appreciation for the things I used to take for granted everyday. I am so blessed to have these opportunities, and I am so grateful for everyone and everything in my life! Please, if you’re ever feeling down, remember there are others in the world with much less who find happiness in the little things.