Mater Lakes Academy's Isabella Gomez selected to attend leadership program

Mater Lakes Academy senior Isabella Gomez was selected to attend the LOFT leadership program through the AGBell Association. The leadership program is designed for deaf and hard of hearing students.
Gomez is the first student in Miami-Dade County to be nominated and selected to attend the program. According to her teaches and peers, Gomez has taken an active role in the state chapter. She also has spoken to and now serves on their advocacy committee.
As a result of her experiences and her work, she was invited to give a two minute speech about her journey at the AGBell Gala in Washington D.C. last November. The annual event raises funds and awareness about hearing loss.
Gomez was diagnosed with hearing loss at age 6 and was fitted with hearing aids. During her 10th grade year it was discovered that Isabella’s hearing loss was progressive meaning it was getting worse. She went from having a moderate hearing loss to being deaf. She received her first cochlear implant in 2016 and then the second one in October from the University of Miami Cochlear Implant team.
Gomez is a high achieving student whose success can be attributed in large part to the help and support she has received at Mater Lakes.