Jodie Banks
Jodie Banks was born profoundly deaf in both ears, most likely because she was born 7 weeks premature. Diagnosed at 18 months old and fitted with hearing aids not long after, Jodie was enrolled at the Early Intervention Centre at Speech and Hearing Centre in Perth.
Jodie continued her oral education there until being mainstreamed from Year 2 where she had a Teacher of the Deaf based at the primary school and then onto Corpus Christi College where she had a note-taker for most of her classes. She completed her TEE and was selected by her Year 12 peers as the School Ambassador for the WA’s Youth Ministers Positive Image Award. She went on to be selected from 300 Ambassadors as one of the states 6 finalists.
Jodie is a bone cancer survivor from when she was diagnosed at 5 years old. She has had to overcome extra challenges on top of her deafness and despite this is an eternal optimist and sees life as a challenge not an obstacle. She was involved in CanTeen in her teen years and was elected by the members as a General Committee Member and helped with various programs and fundraising.
Jodie studied Environmental Biology at Murdoch University for two years before changing her mind and deciding to pursue a more creative avenue. She worked for a while before finally getting into the TAFE Interior Design course which she is one class away from completing.
In 2008, Jodie was implanted with a Cochlear Implant and was switched on soon after. She has had it for several months now and is continuing to experience and understand the new world of sound that is opening up to her.
Jodie is looking forward to her new role with the Hear For You program and all the challenges and rewards it will bring. She understands the struggles and difficulties that deaf teenagers experience at school, outside of school and in hearing families.
Jodie is a firm believer of having faith in yourself, not letting deafness be a barrier and making the most of your opportunities. And also to not forget that life is for having fun too!
