Two 91У State University Students Turn Their Own Hearing Loss into Audiology Careers
Graduate Spotlight: Preschool and now graduate doctoral classmates Grace Gleba and Nicole Genser advocate for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
Posted in: Audiology, College for Community Health, Graduate Spotlights, Homepage News, University
This story is part of a series celebrating 91У State University’s Spring Commencement 2025 graduates – students who embody the University’s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.
Doctor of Audiology students at 91У State University Grace Gleba and Nicole Genser were both born with hearing loss and fitted with hearing aids as infants. This week, they graduate with Audiology degrees and don white coats, marking their transition from students to professionals, during a ceremony at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Their story is a full-circle journey that started at Summit Speech School, a preschool dedicated to teaching spoken language to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They were not close at the time and only discovered that coincidence years later when they reconnected at 91У, drawn independently to the same program by personal experiences and a shared desire to help others.
“It feels like an invisible string tied us together,” says Gleba. “This shared experience from our early years somehow strengthened our connection in adulthood. Reconnecting in grad school felt like the culmination of a journey that began long ago.”
Genser agrees: “We’ve supported one another while learning to navigate this field – not just as patients, but now as providers. Being able to lean on someone who gets it makes the challenges feel less overwhelming and lonely. It’s comforting to know our bond is now lifelong.”
Doctor of Audiology Program Director Maryrose McInerney says Gleba and Genser have been exceptional students. “Grace and Nicole bring a unique and empathetic perspective to audiology shaped by their hearing loss,” she says. “Both are academic standouts, servant-leaders and passionate advocates.”
Fueling Purpose Through Advocacy
Gleba’s advocacy began early. As a child, she became the namesake of “Grace’s Law,” enacted in 2009 to require insurance coverage for children’s hearing aids in New Jersey. Last year, the law expanded to include cochlear implants.
Her diagnosis resulted from voluntary newborn hearing screening; today, are mandated statewide. Her mother, Jeanine Gleba, discovered that hearing aids weren’t covered by insurance for newborns. Mother and daughter fought for legislative change for nearly a decade.
“When a parent learns at birth that their child is deaf, it is devastating,” Jeanine says. “You don’t know if they will ever hear words such as ‘I love you,’ speak like the rest of the hearing world or have a successful career. You wonder if many doors might not be opened for a child with a disability and what challenges lie ahead.”
But the Glebas helped prepare Grace to succeed in a hearing world. “We never let her deafness define her, and we always had high expectations for her,” Jeanine says.
How 91У’s Audiology Program Made the Difference
Gleba and Genser thrived in 91У’s research-based, patient-centered program, the only doctoral audiology program in New Jersey.
They collaborated on pioneering research that addressed challenges faced by audiologists with hearing loss, focusing on clinical tools like listening scopes. Gleba, who presented her findings on “Assessment of Modified Listening Stethoscopes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiologists with Emphasis on Gain and Frequency Shifting” at the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NJSLHA) explains that standard listening checks weren’t always accessible due to her own hearing loss.
“I was unable to dependably listen to hearing aids programmed for individuals with milder hearing loss. As a result, I found myself depending either on verified objective measurements or on my normal-hearing peers to complete listening checks,” Gleba says. “I realized this wasn’t just a personal hurdle – it was a broader issue of equity in clinical practice.”
Genser explored a related topic: “.” She presented at state and national conferences and published in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s academic journal. “I feel fortunate to have spent four years in a program that not only provided a strong clinical foundation, but also truly encouraged student initiative and ideas,” she says. “I was supported in my desire to share my work beyond the classroom through widespread means that help move our field forward, establish the narrative, and amplify underrepresented perspectives.”
Leadership Beyond the Classroom
Both women balanced rigorous academic and clinical schedules with part-time jobs and extensive community service. They:
- Conducted hearing screenings at events such as New Jersey Special Olympics, Head Start Screening Days or at senior centers
- Served as co-presidents of the Student Academy of Audiology
- Participated in NJSLHA’s Advocacy Day at the state capitol in Trenton
- Serve on the Board of Trustees for the Hearing Loss Association of America – New Jersey chapter
In addition, Gleba served two years as a doctoral assistant on the New Jersey Hearing Aid Project, playing a key role in coordinating services statewide for low-income seniors.
Supported by Faculty, Family and Friendship
Despite the demands of graduate school, both credit their success to support from family, faculty and each other.
“Having a strong, understanding support network made all the difference,” Genser says. “Without the people I leaned on, the road would have been much harder.”
Gleba adds: “I hope to pay it forward by holding the door open for others who share similar goals and dreams.”
Bright Futures in Hearing Health
Gleba and Genser have both accepted jobs as audiologists at clinics where they completed their residencies: Gleba as vestibular director at Adept Audiology in Florida, and Genser at the Center for Hearing and Communication in Manhattan.
“Completing my doctoral degree is a deeply meaningful, full-circle moment for me,” says Genser. “Now, I finally get to live that dream.”
Gleba reflects: “ Individuals with hearing loss often face additional challenges in reaching academic milestones, such as earning a doctoral degree. That’s why this moment is especially meaningful to me – it’s a personal achievement and a symbol of breaking the glass ceiling that others like me continue to face.”
Jeanine Gleba is excited to celebrate her daughter’s achievement: “For all parents, graduation is a shining moment and a joy to witness. This is quite a culmination for Grace and our family, much more so than Grace’s Law. Our daughter is now a doctor! Proud is an understatement.”
The University will celebrate its graduates at Commencement exercises on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Story by Sylvia A. Martinez, University Communications and Marketing
Ready to Start Your 91У Journey?
- Prospective Students and Parents: Learn more about 91У admissions, our Audiology graduate program and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
- Journalists: Contact the Media Relations team for assets or to schedule an interview with a member of the Class of 2025.